


Sicarius

by Higgies230



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Assassin AU, Assassin Dean Winchester, F/M, Hurt Dean Winchester, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-03-28 20:41:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 36
Words: 41,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13911825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Higgies230/pseuds/Higgies230
Summary: When Dean's nine he's kidnapped. He's trained as an assassin, part of "Sicarius", he learns every way to kill a man whether it be with poison, a weapon or his bare hands. The amulet that his little brother gave him is his only anchor in the following years.Sam is left dealing with the guilt of that night when he was oh so young, how his brother had protected him and the results of that.





	1. Taken

  Dean was half asleep, slumped on the hard sofa provided in the motel room. He had tried to keep his eyes open so that he could look after Sammy, make sure he was safe, but his eyelids felt so incredibly heavy. In the end he just curled up and decided to doze- and he would do nothing more than doze.

  He must have been in that state for half an hour to an hour, he really wasn't sure, when someone knocked at the door.

  "Anyone home," came a voice.

  Dean immediately tensed up. Who would be knocking at a motel door in the late hours of the night? Because he definitely didn't recognize that voice. It was a stranger and Dad forbade him from opening the door to strangers. Maybe they had the wrong door? Maybe they were drunk? No, the man didn't sound drunk. The wrong door then, it had to be the wrong door.

  The nine year old Winchester found himself curling into himself tighter, just ignoring the man who was still knocking. His gripped the amulet in his hand, the one that Sammy had given him for Christmas, the one that he hadn't taken off since. He took comfort in the small shaped lump of metal in his hand. It helped him focus on his job in life: protect Sam. That was rule number one. It gave him purpose, it gave him pride to be the protector of his five year old brother.

  The fist pounding against the door got louder as its owner put more force behind his actions. More frequent, more power, louder.  The stranger knocked and knocked until the door was shaking in it's frame and Dean was curled up as tight as was humanly possible. The vibrations tore through his body, fear building in every fiber of his being. He wanted the man to stop so badly, just wanted him to leave so that Sam could stay safe.

  "Very clever boy, not opening the  door for a stranger. Shame Daddy's not home though," the man cooed through the wood.

  That was it, Dean jumped up from the sofa, stumbling in his haste to get to his brother who was still asleep on the bed furthest from the door. How had that racket not woken him? Dean rushed over to the bed as something slammed against the door, like the man had thrown his whole body against the door. There was the loudest crash yet and the motel door shook- it even woke Sammy.

  "Dean?" the kid asked sleepily, sitting bolt upright.

  "Get under the bed Sammy, you need to be quiet," Dean said, voice shaking.

  He half pulled his little brother off of the bed as the sleep-ridden child swung around to do as Dean had asked. When he was on the floor Dean had him roll under the bed where the thin motel duvet hung to the ground, hiding his presence.

  Dean turned one last time to check that his brother was fully hidden before scrambling over to the kitchen area where a gun was stashed in the second cupboard. His small hands fumbled on the round handle before he pulled it open with such force that the wood banged against the next cupboard. The older Winchester quickly pulled the weapon from where it was hidden at the back of the cupboard, the weight in his hands familiar from the hours that his dad had made him train with it.

  There was another crash at the door and Dean jumped, losing balance sightly and using one hand to steady himself. He lept up from the motel floor and ran back over to the sofa, not bothering to close the cupboard up behind him. He held the gun out before him with shaking arms, breath coming in quick pants as adrenaline rushed through his body. There was a final crashed and the door splintered, buckling inwards.

  A man dressed in jeans and a plain blue t-shirt stepped through the broken remains of the door. His movements were fluid and silent as he picked his way across the mess of splintered wood, his gaze locking onto Dean as soon as he passed the threshold. The boy shivered as the cold eyes landed on him, freezing him to the spot.

  "I'll shoot you," he told the man as bravely as he could even as his voice shook.

  "I don't think you will my boy but I like your guts, you'll be a great addition," the stranger chortled.

  "No, I will shoot," little Dean told him with more determination when the man took another step forward.

  On the next step, Dean found himself taking a step backwards. The movement brought another twisted laugh from the man's lips. His graying hair caught some of the light from outside the motel window, the same light making his eyes glint. The pupils were large in the brown iris, but the eyes were still human. But was the man human? Was he a werewolf, a vamp, a demon? Dean wished more than anything else that the man wasn't a demon, even Dad struggled with them which meant he'd have no chance.

" _Exorcizamus_ _te_ _,_ _omnis_ _immundus_ _spiritus_ _,_ " he started, quiet and stuttering,"  _omnis_ _satanica_ _potestas_ -"

  "We exorcise you, every impure spirit, every satanic power?"  the man translated with a raised eyebrow, "Are you religious my lad? If you are, I'm not an "impure spirit", so you don't have to worry about that." 

  For a second Dean was taken aback that the guy knew what he'd said. He didn't know anyone that knew Latin- other than the words for the exorcism that it. Then he realised what it meant, that the guy wasn't a demon. Dean sagged slightly with relief before tensing again as the intruder took another step closer.

  The older Winchester stumbled as he took another step. He fell to the floor near the beds, dropping his gun arm down. As he did, the man took the opportunity to cover the rest of the distance between them, his long legs carrying him swiftly over to the nine year old. A large, thin and yet strong hand wrapped around the wrist that held the gun, the other hand coming up and twisting the weapon from Dean's grip. The boy gave a shout of pain before he lunged forward and bit the restraining hand. The guy gave an angry grunt of pain before bringing up the bitten hand and bringing a fist back down to connect with the boy's face.

  The force knocked Dean to the ground, his face against the carpet. He looked under the bed and through the next one where he could see little Sammy's scared face pressed to the carpet also, big brown eyes locked onto Dean's green ones. The older brother put a hasty finger to his lips to remind Sammy to stay silent as he felt the blood rushing to his already swelling face.

  "I see we'll have to teach you some manners though," the stranger commented above him.

  Dean quickly tore his eyes away from his terrified brother, flipping himself over and making to get up. The man lent down then and took Dean's face in his hand, fingers pressing painfully into his jaw. The other hand wrapped around Dean's throat, squeezing until the boy couldn't get full lungfuls of air into his body. He wrapped his own much smaller hands around the stranger's wrists, pulling at them desperately in a futile attempt to get them off. 

  "You don't have to be scared my lad. We'll take care of you," the man smiled close to his face, warm breath brushing against Dean's now flushed cheeks," and you don't have to worry either, your brother will be left behind, he's too young for what we want."

  Brother! The guy knew that Sammy was there! The realisation had Dean struggling in the guy's grip. He had to protect Sam. He thought of the terror on his baby brother's face, how much the guy was hurting him. How he couldn't breath. He could feel the amulet weighing around his neck as the stranger hushed him and he gasped for more air. His struggles grew weaker and weaker, his grip on the guy's arms loosening as the pain in his chest worsened and his vision slowly went black. 


	2. Alastair

  When Dean woke up he was in the back of a moving van. The walls were black and windowless, the partition  between him and the drivers only sporting a slit about a few inches in any direction through which to allow light.

  The very next thing Dean registered was that Sammy wasn't there. That meant one of two things; either the man had kept to what he'd said and left his little brother be, or he'd killed the five year old... Dean hoped beyond hope that the situation fell with the first option but it seemed that he would never be able to find out unless he escaped. He had failed his brother, his dad.

  As that last regret wormed its way through his thoughts, he became aware of the pain. There was a ache in his throat and he couldn't swallow properly, breathing hurt. He tried to bring his hands up to massage his neck but as he tried he felt plastic dig in, something that could only be cable ties tying his wrists behind his back. He'd felt it before. Dad had tied him up and told him to escape...

  He did the first thing that he remembered doing before. He pulled his arms down, gritting his teeth as he felt the plastic bite into his wrists and his shoulders strain. The boy then worked his right leg back through his arms, then his left, bending and twisting them at that the knee until they slipped through. Once he had his hands in front of him he proceeded to roll is shoulders in an attempt to dispel the new ache before bringing them up to massage his throat.

  Dad had left him in a room with a pickable lock when he'd last been made to escape. He had been able to find a nail and pick the lock before leaving and finding a knife stashed away in the next room to cut the ties. The fear that he had felt that time, probably only a year ago, had compelled him to do his best, he had picked the lock with an ease that he hadn't been able to until that point, even though he'd literally had his hands tied. Now though, he was certainly feeling fear, much, much more fear than he had been last time, the only difference was that the door to the van was smooth, no lock to pick. And even if there was a lock to pick it what would he do? The rumble and sway of the vehicle beneath him told him that they were moving so if he did manage to open the door then all he would find would be receding road. 

  He wished that he had had more training. That he wasn't so young, weak and pathetic. He wished that he was strong or clever enough to get out of there, to find Sammy and make sure he was safe. Hopelessness enveloped him then because he wasn't capable of anything. His one job in life was to keep his brother safe and he couldn't do that with his hands cable tied in the back of a van heading to who knows were.

  He was weak. He was useless, He had failed. He had no hope. Dean curled in on himself, bringing his knees up to his chest and folding his tied hands above his head as sobs wracked his small body.

***

  After what seemed forever the van stopped. The engine died down and there was the sound of doors opening and then being slammed shut. The small boy could hear voices outside, just beyond the back of the van, the back of his prison. He uncurled and sat up slightly, small fist clenching around his amulet for comfort.

  Then the door was opened and daylight flooded in. The light blinded the boy as it shone directly onto him, forcing him to turn away slightly.

  As his eyes adjusted slightly, he was able to look around and see four people stood looking in at him. One of which was his assailant from the night before. There was also a tall man in a canvas jacket, blond scruffy hair, stubble and cold blue eyes. He seemed to be the leader, standing slightly in front of the others with a half smile on his face and his hands neatly clasped before him. The other two consisted of a rather short man in a suit and a an equally short man with peculiar yellowish eyes. They all stood there calmly like this was something that happened everyday, the dark shadow of what looked to be an abandoned warehouse looming above them.

  "Well he got his hands round so he's obviously had some training," the suit guy said with a distinctive British accent.

  "Um. Yes, and you said that he put up a fight, had a gun?" the lead guy asked turning towards Dean's captor. 

  "He did indeed, thought straight away that he's gonna be a good one," the man smiled evilly. 

  "Good, now get out boy," the leader snapped.

  Dean looked up and him in terror and despite himself shuffled backwards away from the strange men. That seemed to be the wrong thing to do as the blond man scowled, clicking his fingers. The man that took Dean climbed up into the van and strode purposefully over the quivering child, grabbing hold of his arm and ruffly pulling Dean to his feet.

  The guy dragged the Winchester boy from the vehicle and dropped him on the ground outside. Dean was left sprawled but he quickly scrambled up until he was cornered with the side of the van at his back and the men fanning out around him.

  "Let's get him in and settled," the man guy smiled maliciously. 

***

  Dean had found himself being tugged into the warehouse, the cold inside more intense than that of the outside as the sun was cut out. Inside it was like a ghost town. Huge stacks of crates and boxes loomed up to the ceiling high, high above creating a maze of shadows. The smaller stacks were covered in grey cloth and dust floated through the air in the gloom- the only light coming from the filthy windows high, high above them.

  The man who had taken Dean led him along by his arm as the other three strode ahead, the suited man slightly behind the other two. The boy watched them walk, the smooth and confident strides of the leader, the deliberate pace of the yellow eyed man and the quick sharp steps of the suited man, each movement sending his long jacket swishing around his knees.

  He tried to concentrate on that rather than the mounting fear, the fear that was sending tears tumbling down his young face, the fear that was causing him to tug in futile at his captor's arm. His dad would be so disappointed in him, he had failed and he was weak...

  Eventually, they rounded one last stack of crates and came to a door. It was just a door, nothing big or fancy, nothing that would set it apart from any other door that Dean had ever seen. And yet this door was the most terrifying door that he had ever come across, he had a horrible feeling that once he passed through it he would never get his old life back. That there would be no chance of escape.

  So the boy struggled harder, kicked the shins of the cold eyed man and bit the hand on his arm just as he had the previous night. The guy grunted in pain before walloping Dean across the face.

  "The boy's a biter!" he chuckled evilly, the sound causing the boy to shake.

  "I suggest that you cooperate boy else it'll be a lot harder for you. Master Alastair here would enjoy punishing you but I think that it would be bad for your training to be bruised and cut before it even began," the blond man told Dean calmly, gesturing at his kidnapper.

  The threat sent yet another wave of terror coursing through his small body and he froze on the spot, staring up at the lead man as the guy Alistair tightened his grip on Dean's arm.

  "We'll sort you out boy, don't you worry. By the time we're done there will be nothing this world can throw at you that will hurt you," the blond man smiled at Dean. 


	3. Jensen Ackles

  The stairs beyond the door seemed to go on forever, each step down getting colder and colder. The stair well was brick, walls, steps and all, lit by rows of lights along the right wall. The stairs themselves were wide enough to comfortably stand three men abreast.

  After what seemed an age of stumbling down step after step, they came to the base of the flight. Dean's arm was numb from Alastair's harsh grip and he couldn't help but shiver as the frigid air bit at every exposed bit of skin. The boy tried to shy away from Alastair, from the pain he was causing Dean and the fear that he was inducing but the man turned, his cold eyes fixing Dean with a stare that held him still with fear.

  The group walked a few more paces down the brick-laid tunnel before it branched out into two separate corridors. It was there that the men came to a stop, the blond guy turning smartly to face them.

  "I trust that you can handle the rest Crowley," he addressed the guy in the three piece suit.  
  "You can Lucifer," the man, Crowley, replied with a distinct British accent.

"Good," the lead man nodded before he gestured and he and the yellow eyed man turned off down the right hand passage.

  Once the two had turned the corner Crowley looked Dean over once before leading them down the left hand tunnel.

  "Alastair, let go of the boy's arm, he needs to walk for himself," Crowley ordered without looking back.

  Alastair immediately let go of Dean's arm but he otherwise didn't acknowledge the other man. For his part, Dean felt his stride falter, a mistake he quickly rectified as Alastair submitted him to a death glare. The oldest Winchester boy bit his lip hard as he looked down at the cement floor, fighting back tears, wishing this was a dream. But his dad had taught him not to cry because that showed weakness, he'd also taught Dean not to wish because it only brought disappointment. It meant that now he had not only failed his one purpose in life but that he was failing to abide by his father's teachings.

All it did was make him more determined not to actually cry.

  The three of them kept a good pace as they made their way along the well lit corridor. After about a hundred meters, they entered an area where the ceiling rose much higher and the walls were five times further apart. Set into one wall was a large set of steel double doors. Dean could hear rattling and the loud clinking of metal on metal beyond those doors.

  In his uncertainty he looked up at Alastair who simply shoved him forward. The boy stumbled a few steps, regaining his balance before he crashed into the Crowley man who glanced around at him briefly. They then continued on, the passage sharply falling back into its usual dimensions.

  Finally the three seemed to come to their destination. It was a door, one just as unassuming as the one that led to the stairs and yet the uncertainty of what it held beyond made it terrifying to the boy.

  Crowley opened the door without hesitation. Alastair gave Dean a quick shove and so the boy to entered the room on the other side. The room was filled by metal draws standing against every wall, a single wooden desk and chair sitting in the middle of the room. Standing besides the table was a relatively short man with grey hair wearing a white set of what looked like some kind of martial arts training robes. As they entered, the man gave a brief nod of his head to the men before fixing his gaze on Dean.

  The boy squirmed under the scrutiny, feeling like the man was looking straight through him.

  "This is Master Frank, boy," Crowley informed him.

  "You will refer to all the adults, all of your superiors here as "Master". Understand?" Alastair prodded him sharply with a long finger.

  Dean looked up at the man with wide eyes before giving a scared little nod. He didn't care anymore, he was wishing so hard that this wasn't real. He didn't want to have to call anyone Master and he didn't want to be in this underground brick place.

  "Okay, so here are the rules; you are now one of the Sicarius and that means that you are under the controls of the Masters. You will go through three years of training with Master Frank before you can take up your role among our organisation, at which you will serve the Masters with one hundred percent loyalty. For now though, your place will be explained as you go along," Crowley informed him before moving over to the desk and pulling open a draw there.

  The British man pulled out a file which he quickly flicked through before glancing back up at Dean, marking something on one of the pages with a pen he had produced from his suit, and stowing the file back in the draw. Without any explanation as to what the file was about, the man strode back over to tower over Dean who could feel himself shrinking away from him as much as was humanly possible without actually moving.

  "Your name is now Jensen Ackles. Whoever you were before this day, whoever your family was, whatever your name was, it is nothing. We are starting afresh today. Your family are no longer your family. This organisation is now your family, your fellow Sicarius trainees are your brothers and sisters. Just forget everything else, because this is your life now. You are Jensen Ackles," Crowley leaned in and spoke forcefully.

  "That... that's not my name sir," Dean stuttered. He didn't want to be called Jensen Ackles, and Sam would  _always_  be his family.

  In the moment after he said this, Alastair grabbed him again and punched him in the gut. The boy doubled over instantly as the air rushed from his lungs and he was left winded.

  "If I hear such disrespect from your worthless lips again then it will be a whip that hits you instead of my fist," Alastair purred in Dean's ear even as he continued to gasp for breath.

  Once he had recovered, the boy looked back up at Crowley, the threat of tears even harder than ever to stave off. The man before him wore a tight-lipped expression but didn't comment on what had just happened. The other man, Frank, looked on with even more disdain but it appeared to Dean that the other two were his superiors and he wasn't  about to oppose them. Was he one of the Sicarius? Whatever that was. 

  "Right then  _Jensen_ ," Crowley continued as if nothing had happened, putting special emphasis on the last word, "you sore going to change so that you are wearing a uniform, like you would for school where I come from in England. You are allowed to keep one thing that you have on you but nothing else. The clothes will not be yours as soon as they leave your body. So, what will you choose to keep?"

  Instinctively, Dean's hand went to grab his amulet, his small hands wrapping around the metal that had been warmed by his own skin. Crowley saw this and nodded before motioning to Frank. The man who was meant to be his new teacher went to one of the many metal draws around the room, pulled it open and grabbed a pile of clothes from within it.

  As Dean carefully stripped to his boxers- at Alastair's instruction- the clothes and a sleeping bag were laid in front of him. Once he'd put the robes on, Dean looked down to see that they looked a lot like Frank's except for the fact that they were black. His amulet felt heavy around his neck, one comfort in all of this- whatever this was.

  "Well then," Crowley said clapping his hands together," Master Frank will take you from here Ackles."

  Dean looked up at Crowley nervously, he seemed like the least dangerous person that he had met so far. Even Frank had that "don't  mess with me" feel to him. And the guy was meant to be his teacher for the next three years. Did that mean that he was never going to see Sam again?

  Frank gestured with his head for Dean to follow him as he lead him out of the door, not having said a word since Dean had entered the room. With nervous reluctance Dean picked up the sleeping back and followed him, if only to get away from Alastair.

  On the way, Dean tried to keep track of the directions that they were heading, something that his father had always taught him was key to survival, but the many corners and junctions between passages soon made him loose all baring. After that realisation, the young boy aimlessly followed after his supposed teacher, fidling with the cuffs of the new robes he wore as frightened shivers racked his body. He didn't want this new life. He didn't want it one bit.


	4. Brick Base

  Frank led him to a corridor that looked shabbier than the rest, like the bricks had been there longer. At the end of the passage it was a dead end, one last room. A wall of vertical metal bars with a door made of the same off to the left. It looked like some kind of jail cell.

  The teacher strode straight over to the door and pulled a key from his robes. Once he'd unlocked the door he pulled it open and stood aside, looking at Dean as if he was impatient for the boy to just get a move on and go through the threshold. So Dean did. Because he didn't like the look of the man. He had a severe, strict look, every time that he glanced Dean's way, it seemed to the boy that the gaze went right through him, analysing him inside and out.

  Once Dean had stepped through, Frank  closed and locked the door behind him with a clank and click that went right through the boy. He glanced around afraid to move his feet to see the man walking away until he reached the end of the corridor and the lights outside were all turned off, leaving only the one hanging in the middle of the room to give him a view of his new world.

  It was then, when he had nothing else to see, that he turned to inspect the room that he had been locked in. The three walls that weren't the front were made of the same, older looking bricks that the corridor had been made of. The light in the centre of the ceiling was giving of an almost comfortable looking glow which sat wrong with Dean when contrasted against the sharp pattern of the bricked walls. There were thin mattresses spread out across the floor, most of the completely empty. 

  It was as he looked towards the back of the of the room that Dean noticed that he was not alone. There was in fact two other figures, hunched in the shadows on two of the mattresses set along the back wall. The boy found himself hugging tighter onto the sleeping bag in his hands as he took in the two small people, boys he thought.

  In the end, one of the stood and walked forward, into the light cast by the bulb. The kid was indeed a boy, maybe a year or two older than Dean with a mullet type haircut. He walked with more confidence than Dean would have thought possible in such a situation and yet there was still hesitation in the way that the boy looked Dean over.

  The other boy stopped a couple of meters away from Dean, the other figure finally following the first out. This to was a boy, more broad set with short hair and a more open, friendly face, maybe a bit closer to Dean's age. Immediately Dean felt drawn to the second boy, something about him automatically made the Winchester trust him.

  "Hey," the first boy broke the silence, the sudden break causing Dean to start slightly.

  "Um, hey," Dean said, trying to make it strong when in fact it came out in a very small voice.

  The second boy gave Dean a sympathetic smile and a slight nod in greeting.

  "What's your name then?" the first asked.

  "De-" Dean started before the boy cut him off.

  "No, nope, no thanks. We don't want the name that you were born to. That'll only get you and us into trouble. What you want is the name that the Masters just gave you," the guy said, holding up a hand.

  "Um... my... that name is um... Jensen Ackles I think," Dean told them. He didn't want to get into trouble in a place like this, not with the threat he'd received from Alastair earlier.

  "Hey, you'll get used to it. Maybe, I can't say much. It's still weird for me to I guess," the guy smiled somewhat sadly.

  He took a few steps forward until he was standing right before Dean.

  Extending his hand the first boy offered another smile before introducing himself," the name is Chad. Chad Lindberg. Course that is the name that the Masters gave me."

  "Okay," Dean said, uncertain of any other way to reply.

  "My name is Ty Olsson," the second boy said, as if to fill the silence.

  In reply, Dean only chose to nod. The whole thing was too much. All he was capable of thinking was that he was probably too grateful that he was not the only one, not the only person stuck in this situation.

  "Come on man, we'll get you a bed next to ours," Chad said, putting an arm around Dean's shoulder and leading him to the back of the room where the two occupied mattresses resided.

  "Just put your sleeping bag down here next to Ty's bed, 'k," Chad pointed.

  Hesitantly, Dean put the bag down, glancing up at both boys as he did so. Automatically, as he straightened up, Dean's hand went to his amulet as his next source of comfort. Ty seemed to notice the action before Dean was even aware that he had done it. The guy smiled kindly at Dean while Chad plopped himself down on the mattress in the corner, two down from Dean's new one.

  "Hey, we don't know what they want, except for the sicarius thing. I've been here for three months now, Chad's been here for four. That Master Frank character says that they're just waiting for a few more people before we start training," Ty told Dean.

  "That's right. Not much else has been happening. Gotta ask though, how old are you?" Chad asked leaning against the corner.

  "I'm nine," Dean said quietly.

  "Nine. Okay. Well I'm twelve and Ty here is eleven so we can make sure that you're okay right?" Chad said to the floor.

  "Thank you," was the Winchester's reply.

***

   Dean couldn't sleep that night. It was cold in the brick room, dark ever since the light had gone out hours earlier. He lay there curled in his sleeping back, clutching the folds of material closer to him in a desperate attempt to maintain some semblance of warmth. The terrified face of his little brother haunted his thoughts every time that he closed his eyes. The little boy was too young to look after himself, and now he was alone. There was no guarantee when their father would be back to discover that Dean was gone and that Sammy had been left on his own. That Dean had failed.

  In the end, it was Ty, rolling over to face him in the darkness that gave him some peace. The older boy placed a hand on Dean's shoulder, making the Winchester jump slightly. After the initial shock, Dean found himself to be melting into the touch, the human comfort that offered support and safety.

  "I'm guessing you're still awake Jensen," Ty whispered into the darkness.

 "Yes," Dean whispered back.

  "You got any questions? Bet you've got more than you can get your head around," Ty commented with a small chuckle.

  "I guess," Dean whispered back, subconsciously finding himself moving closer to the older boy.

  "Go on, ask the first question. The biggest one, and I'll try to answer you," the other boy whispered to Dean.

  "Where are we?" Dean asked after a long pause, it was so quiet that he was surprised the other heard it, even with their close proximity.

  "I don't really know Jensen. I don't know what city, what state or even what country we are in. Although I hope that we are still in America. All I know is that this place... well, the Masters, or at least Master Frank, calls it the Brick Base. Guess it's 'cause of all the brick," Ty told him.


	5. Newcomers

Dean quickly learned that it was impossible to get truly warm down in the bowls of the Brick Base. He, My and Chad often curled up together but even that combined body heat seemed to have no effect on the constant contact cold. The boys would pile up at night's, blankets pulled over the m all and thin mattresses as close as possible to the other creating one large area for them all to share.

The Winchester was incredibly grateful that he hadn't been Chad, the first bit to be brought down here. He'd spent a month alone in the cold with nothing but the shabby blanket and the dusty bricks. Ty had come slimmest and then Dean two months after him, the youngest of the trio. The two older boys were the only reason that Dean could keep things together. If ever the fear became too much or he was missing Sammy, then one if them would seem to sense it and sit beside him. Chad would try to cheer him up while Ty would be a silent comfort.

Dean and Ty would often sit together in silence or even share a few funny stories and so the Winchester found himself bonding with the other boy far more than with Chad who was much more of a goof. Why Ty was with him, he felt safer and despite how much he loved to chatter normally, he found that he reveled in the quiet , the peace that the older boy held.

It was about a month after Dean arrived that the three if them became five. It was in a period when the lights were on and the cold room was partially lit making it so that they could see the newcomers but not the other way around- just as it had been for Dean.

The two people were two girls, both looking understandably terrified and clinging to each others arms. One was slightly taller than the other both with wide brown eyes and long brown hair. Dean watched them nervously as the door clanged shut and Master Frank departed down the corridor.

"Hello?" the taller girl seemed to struggle to get the words out.

Dean looked over at Ty who glanced back at him before looking back over at the new girls. Chad clapped Dean on the back, stood and left the shadows to approach the newcomers as he had when Dean had first come.

As he approached them, the taller girl stood straighter. Even though he thought of her as the taller girl, she was still tiny, the other girl even smaller. He decided that he wanted to follow Chad out, to meet them. Ty stood beside him as he pushed himself up, the older boy dwarfing him being a head taller as courtesy of the extra years of growth.

"Where are we?" The talker one asked.

"No clue sorry. What are your names? And before you say anything, the names they gave you, it wouldn't do anyone any good to hear the names your parents gave you," Chad said.

"They called me Rachel... Rachel Miner I think. This is my sister, they called her Gena something or other," the taller one replied.

"They said it was Genevieve Cortese," the smaller girl replied. Even Dean was taller than her.

"Cool, well not really but I can't really say anything to make you feel better. I'm Chad Linden burg," Chad greeted smoothly, getting through something that would have been incredibly awkward for anyone else in the universe.

"My name's Ty Olsson," Ty greeted with a small smile, nodding at Dean to speak.

"Jensen Ackles," he said without gusto, still hating the loss of his friends identity but unwilling to get his new friends in trouble.  
***

Later on that day Dean had to ask his question, he one that had been playing him ever since Rachel had introduced Genevieve as her sister.

"If they took both of you, why didn't they take my brother too?" He asked.

"You have a brother? Never said," Chad commented.

"You know that's a good point," Ty said, looking sympathetically over to Dean.

"How old are you Jensen?" Rachel asked.

"Nine, why?" Dean replied.

"Well I am eleven and Geneva... you know what I'm just going to call you Gen now. Anyhow, Gen is ten. Maybe it is something to do wit age. How old's your brother?" Rachel reasoned.

"He's five," Dean replied with a pang, his little brother was five and left alone. He sure hoped that Dad got back soon after he'd been taken and that Sammy was okay.

"That's probably the reason they, cause you are the youngest here anyway," Chad told Dean, "your brother was too young to be a Sicarius it whatever."

"Well I'm glad he's too young," Dean said into his knees.  
***

Not a week after the sisters arrived, the door opened again with the promise of something other than food or a toilet run. It was another girl. One with dark eyes and hair, looking even younger than even Gen.

Chad once more introduced himself as did everyone else, the other girls with more sorrow and pain- having he memory of their first experience fresh in their minds. Her name was Cindy Sampson, her real name something beginning with Li- as she started before Chad cut her off. She was the same age as him as well.

Dean didn't know why the girl struck so well with him. All he knew was that the deep fear in her crown eyes and the innocence of her expression made him want to protect her. She may have been nine like he was but he had never really felt like a nine year old, never felt like a kid ever since he'd been four and his mom died. Not since he had to kill things and look after Sammy...

And he'd failed to look after Sammy... So maybe if he looked after Cindy then he wouldn't be so useless after all.

 


	6. Cindy Sampson

They had clicked from the day that Cindy had been pushed through the door into their shadowy new home. Chad had introduced himself in the same fashion as before but as the girl sat down it was Dean that moved to comfort her and Dean that she curled up with that night.

Over the next few days, the two found they could hardly move from each others sides. They would laugh and play silly little games like rock paper scissors in an attempt to forget the shadows.

Then, for the first time since Dean, or any one of them, had been left down in the room, the door opened for something other than a bathroom run. Behind Frank stood Alastair, greasy smile in place and dull cold eyes fixed on the six of them huddled at the back of the room.

"It's time for you to start your training as Sicarius," Frank told them rather stiffly, tension before Alastair clear.

"Master Frank here will be giving in regular reports on your progress so I will know if you step the tiniest bit out of line. And I warn you, there will be a serious reprimanding for any that do so," Master Alastair said in his slimy way.

With that, the lean man turned and stroked away down the dark hall, a confidence in his step that Dean wished he could at least fake. Frank glanced round, muttering something that none of them could hear but, judging by the killer look, it wasn't a compliment.

"Come," he gestured and they all followed without hesitation.

As Dean pushed himself off of his mattress he looked to Cindy , who's hair was hanging in front of her young face. It was greasy from lack of washing and her face, similarly to all if theirs, was grimy wig dust from the bricks and dirt from general wear. He smiled at her nervously, an emotion reflected perfectly in her dark eyes, and took the hand that she offered him.

The two nine year olds followed behind the other timid children, making their way to the door while climbing to each other. Dean tried to tell himself that he held on so tightly to his new friend because she needed it but really he knew that he needed the support just as much as she did. So in that fashion they left their room and made their way silently down the corridor, past the bathroom and further on until they were traversing a part of the underground system that Dean had not walked even when he first came.

"Now children, sicarius aren't just killers. They are also to be spies. You are to be the first generation of sicarius, the first lot to improve our organisation. To be spies you have to be educated so I will be your teacher and trainer. You will learn English, maths and languages as well as science on top of training to be assassins," Frank told them as he led them into a wide open room.

Dean thought that that was just his luck. He'd been taken from his little brother by a strange group of men and yet he still had to learn maths. He hated maths.

"First, you will run ten laps of the hall every day, twice a day to improve your general fitness while your academic lessons start. You will only start combat training when you are a bit stronger in about six months. No go," Frank gestured for them to run.

Dean looked over at Frank before letting go of Cindy and running. His dad liked him to do a lot of exercise so he was used to doing a lot of running and he was already quite muscly for his age. All lean wig very little puppy fat, he didn't even have one of those little rounded bellies like most boys of his age thanks to his limited food supply when his dad went running. For this reason he was able to keep up with Chad, Ty and Rachel.

Soon enough though he was panting, his heart hammering and his legs burning. The hall wasn't small and he'd already done seven out of ten. Even Chad with his wirey figure and longer legs was struggling keep going.

"Stop," Frank yelled.

All of them stumbled to a halt, leaning on the walls at various points around the hall to where hey had managed to get.

"Didn't expect you to do ten. Didn't expect you to do as many as you have. Well done for now but you will be expected to do more tonight. You all got to get to at least eight without stopping if you want dinner," Frank told them.

The weak-kneed bunch made there way back over to their Master where he was waiting at the door. Dean felt kinda good. He smiled at Cindy and once more geld her hand as she came up along side him. He liked running, not that he would tell Sammy. But he just wished that he was running  _with_ said little brother, or with Uncle Bobby. He didn't want to be running around in an underground room so that he could get strong enough to kill people. He was a Winchester. Winchesters hunted monsters and even then, Dean had only dealt with ghosts and once he'd shit a werewolf.  
  
***  
The classroom was a horrible parody of your bogstandard American classroom. There were rows of desks, a teacher's desk at the front along with a blackboard. Yet there were no windows and the lighting was almost as bad as that was b their room except that here there were two sad, bare light bulbs hanging limply from the ceiling.

The "class" settled into seats and Frank took his position at the front. There he proceeded to teach them French. Dean decided that he didn't like French.

After French it was maths. He liked maths even less. In fact, it was about half way through the lesson, which seemed to have lasted an eternity so far, when Dean was drifting off, that Alastair made his unpleasant presence known.

The man stroked in though the door, evil smile in place, and caused Frank to stop mid sentence.

"Just stopping in. Got to test the young sicarius as you know Mater Frank," he drawled.

Frank nodded silently and Alastair swaggered on over to Chad who was closest.

"What is your name?" He asked with his nasally drawl, leaning in until his face was inches away from an anxiously cowed Chad.

"Chad Lindenburg," Chad said it n a small voice, all his usual spunk gone.

Alastair made his way around the class in such a manner, terrifying each child in turn until there was only Dean and Cindy left to ask. The man made his way easily over to Dean and offered him a bloodcurdling smile.

"Name?"

Dean looked at him for a second before glancing at Cindy. Her big brown eyes, wide with fear, gave him confidence. He had to be strong, show that he was strong, if he was going to look after her.

"Dean Winchester," he spat.  
  
There was a stunned silence and Alastair's smile fell from his face instantly.

"I don't think it is Mr Ackles. Try again," the Master said in a voice that could cuddle milk.

"Dean Winchester," Dean said with just as much conviction as last time, grinding the words out through his teeth, using the full force of his anger and fear to put power behind them.  
  



	7. Whipped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is where the violence warning applies. Child abuse and hurt Dean and all that. So please don't read this if that is not what you want, I think that you would be good if you skipped over this and just know that Alastair hurts Dean.

  Dean knew that he had made a terrible mistake as soon as he closed his mouth. In that moment the extra years that his previous lifestyle had earned him were stripped away and all that was left was the scared nine year old. Alastair simply glared down at him with enough ferocity as to make it appear that flames were forming in the hard grey eyes. In short: Dean Winchester knew that he had crossed the line big time.

  The man grabbed Dean's small arm and pulled him roughly up. For a moment the young boy just stood there shaking, he glanced up at the teacher but Master Frank just stood there with pursed lips and a miffed expression. All of the fight left the boy and he didn't even struggle as he was wordlessly dragged from the room, the eyes of the other five boring into him with silent panic and fear.

  Master Alistair didn't say a word to Dean even once they left the classroom. He smiled down at the now quivering child with an evil grin full of pointed teeth and the promise of pain. Just as Dean had been warned the first day that he had been brought here. What seemed like forever ago. He tried not to think about what awaited him at the unknown destination, the silence making him ever more tense. All that could be heard was the echo of their footsteps off of those damn brick walls.

 Finally, after what could have only been a few minutes, Alastair stopped before a door. He took the handled and turned it, shoving the door open without ever loosening his iron grip on Dean's arm. He pulled Dean into the room and then let go, using the momentum from the movement and his own little shove to send Dean sprawling across the floor.

  The little boy scrabbled at the hard concrete floor, eventually righting himself and rubbing at a new graze on his face. The very first thing that Dean registered after the floor was the smell of blood. It was a smell that he was all too familiar with from both hunting and patching up his dad and his own wounds. It was a smell that he had thought he'd grown used to but now all it did was chill him to the centre of his being.

  "You will learn that your name is Jensen Ackles boy," Alastair hissed, full of glee, "Whatever name you just gave me is false, that is not your name. That is not who you are."

  The man flicked a switch, illuminating the room before swinging the door shut with a terrifying  _click_. He stalked across the room and crouched before Dean's shaking body, leaning down to breath in Dean's ear, "you are a killer now."

  Dean cringed away from the hot breath, shaking and trying to hold back the tears that burned in his eyes. He was Dean Winchester. He didn't want to be Jensen Ackles. He killed monsters not people.  _Saving_ people, killing  _things_. That was his family business. Most of all though, he didn't want to be in this room. Now that he could see it he could see some brown stains of dried blood, he could see the post in the middle of the room- not far from where he was crouched- and he could see the handcuffs secured to the post.

  "You. Will. Learn," Alastair snarled forcefully in Dean's ear before pulling him up and over to the post.

  "Take it off," the man ordered, gesturing at the top half of Dean's new karate-type robe.

  The order was given with enough venom that Dean didn't hesitate to respond, undoing the cord and pushing the material off of his shoulders with shaking hands. He hesitantly looked up at the stony eyes of the man but was quickly grabbed again and cuffed to the post, his bare back to Alistair.

  "You are going to be whipped by me and every time I whip you I want you to tell me your name. I am going to stop when I am satisfied that you know what it is," Alistair told the boy.

  Dean felt the fear that had been building treble in intensity. He tried to control his breathing even as his heart threw itself at his ribs, almost painfully so. He didn't want to be Jensen Ackles. He didn't want to be Jensen Ackles. He didn't want to be Jensen Ackles.

   _Shut up, you have to be!_  he yelled in his head. But he didn't want to be.

  He heard Alastair walk away from him, heard him open the box that stood ominously and then he heard his footsteps return. Without warning, there was a whistle through the air and then a thwack. The whip cut across his back, the sting coming but a second later. The boy cried out in pain as he felt the first trickles of blood move down his back and the whip mark which burned so bad.

  "What is your name?" came the voice behind him.

  "Jensen Ackles," Dean sobbed, the tears finally falling as he pressed his face into the rough wood of the post.

  A second time the whip came down, cutting through the last mark and right up his neck. Again he cried out, this time biting down on his lip until that to bled. The boy shook and cried as he forced the name out again. Bu he knew that it was a lie. He wasn't Jensen Ackles. He was still Dean Winchester. He had to be.

   Three.

  Four.

  Five.

  Six.

  Again and again the whip sailed through the air to cut through the flesh on Dean's back until he lost count. All he could smell was the blood. All he could feel was the pain. All he could hear was the swoosh, the thwack, the name.

  Eventually it stopped. He heard the footsteps but he couldn't take his face away from the wood. He worried his wrists against the cuffs breaking the skin there also in an attempt to take his mind off of his back.

  "Very good Jensen," Alastair breathed in his ear, making him jump in fright, pulling on the maimed skin of his back as he did so.

  Master Alastair unlocked the cuffs and Dean fell to the floor, crumpled in upon himself, back exposed to the frigid air. It was the first time that the boy had ever been grateful for the cold.

 

 


	8. Head Down

  Alastair had left him in the room, curled up with his flayed back to the world, for hours. In the end it turned out that he had been left there overnight. By the time the door opened again Dean had managed to compose himself from the whipping, not cowed by being shut in a dark room after his hunter training with his dad. When the door did open though, he found himself unwilling to move, the stretch of his back hurting more than he could say.

  The man at the door turned out to be Master Frank. The stern old man huffed down at Dean and told him to move his ass. He did. Dean didn't want to be punished again and in that moment he resolved to keep his head down.

  Frank came up behind him after flipping the light switch on and inspected the lashes across his back. The man tutted, whether it be directed towards Dean or anyone else the boy would never know. In the end the Master pulled a pot from a pocket in his robe- which Dean saw by watching the man carefully out of the corner of his eye- and opening the lid to slather the cream inside over Dean's wounds. The boy didn't know what the stuff was, the pot didn't have a label, it was just in a plain white plastic tube. He did know that it stung like a son of a bitch. Dean just had to try his hardest not to flinch away.

  "You'll have to clean those tonight when you wash," was all that Frank said before gesturing for Dean to don his robe top and follow him.

  The boy did so without a word, trying to wince as little as possible as the rough material of the robe rubbed over the lashes on his back. Hastily he followed the man out of the room, back down the brick corridor.

***

6 months later

  He guessed that he had excepted his life and settled in well. None of them were really afraid anymore. In the dark when the light had gone off in their room they would often play blind-tag or tell silly spooky stories as a way to keep happy. Alastair watched them all with a sick glee, Dean more so than the rest despite his resolve to stay on the straight and narrow. The boy told himself just to ignore the man, pass him by and try to pretend he wasn't there. Because the truth was that since that night where he had tried to stand up to the Master, Dean had been terrified of Master Alastair. Of his capacity for pain, but also his enjoyment of it.

  Dean still missed Sammy also. Still hoped that he was alright. He was almost ten now, seeing as it was December, almost Christmas. Not that Christmas was a thing for them anymore. When they finished their games at night and curled up together to go to sleep Dean would always clutch at his amulet- always securely around his neck- and think of little Sammy. Hope that he was okay.

  The lessons they had were getting more involved. About two months ago they had started having lessons on the basics of how to fight as well as their ritual of running around the hall every morning. At first it was things like the correct point on your fist to punch people with, only a week later did it become more about where to hit to make it hurt.

  "The traditional definition of a pressure point is a point that, when pressure is applied, produces crippling pain. This is learnt from a Chinese martial art called Dim Mak, which is based on acupuncture. These are fragile areas that we will call vulnerable points. Using these points you can easily gain advantage over your opponent," Master Frank had told them after having them line up before him in the training hall of the first of their real combat lessons.

  "So, for the rest of your years of training you will spend part of each day learning the vulnerable points on a human being as well as practicing, memorising and perfecting these skills. These points are on various places around the body including eyes, groin and shin.  For the first part of your training you will use the wide of your foot for kicks as it makes it harder to miss, later on, when you are more adept at finding these pressure points, you will use the heal of your foot to increase pressure. Likewise use the palm of your hand rather than a fist. Whenever you kick your opponent, be sure to pull your foot back quickly lest they try to grab it and unbalance you, this is very important. You fall, you're dead! Today we will focus on some things that you can do to target a man's head," Frank told them, pacing up and down like a drill Sargent, which Dean supposed he was in a way. 

  That day Frank taught them some moves such as a hit to the forehead which snaps the head back with enough force to give concussion. He also taught them to target the temples and how to execute a phoenix-eye punch, which involved extending the index finger so as to create maximum pressure. He forbade them practice that one on partners as it would render them unconscious or kill them. A fact the scared Dean, making the whole thing, training to be an assassin, even more real to him.

  He had looked over to Cindy, his partner and seen the same fear as his own reflected in her brown eyes.

  After that session they had gone off to their normal maths and English as if nothing out of the ordinary had gone on. Dean had found it hard to concentrate, harder than normal anyway, and Frank had just yelled that he was a lucky kid in the fact that he didn't actually have to pass any exams at the end of all of this.

 


	9. First Kill

  The six children woke as usual to the lightbulb flickering into light, trying pathetically to light the room. The weak light would never have woken Dean before Master Alastair stole him from his brother but they had all learned the hard way to wake up at the slightest change in their environment. Which had in turn meant that they had each learned to sleep perfectly still so as not to wake one another in the night. All of this was just their nature now, seeing as they had all been there in the Brick Base for more than ten months, the ninth month of training to be sicarius.

  When they hadn't woken up straight away, Master Alastair would come in and beat them until he was satisfied that they had learnt. Except they  would sleep on and in the end they couldn't sleep at all for the bruises and cuts littering the entirety of their bodies. Eventually they managed to program themselves to avoid the injury though.

  Dean had even learned to stop thinking about Sammy so much. The amulet around his neck was some quiet comfort which he had managed to detach from thoughts of his little brother. Mostly. There were still some days...

  The Winchester took a deep breath to full wake himself, quickly sitting up and rubbing a hand across his face to rid himself of the last vestiges of sleep. He looked over at Cindy who smiled back at him, swiftly giving him a good morning hug which he lovingly returned. Cindy was his sister now, younger than him by a month making her the youngest of the six of them. By the point in their imprisonment that the children had reached they were all incredibly close. They were a family now. Chad and Ty were his brothers, Rachel, Gen and Cindy were his sisters. They were all best friends and they had all grown to love each other completely.

  Having a new family like he did made it miles easier for Dean to except the fact that his name was now Jensen Ackles. His new family was his new world and with each day he found that the name Winchester meant less and less. He'd never been much use to his dad anyways, Sammy would make a much better hunter by far.

***

  The six of them followed Master Frank down to the training hall as they did every morning, ready for their run. The religious running had made them all fit and the substantial food meant that they were also healthy. Master Frank had said that it was essential to their training that they were in such a condition. Indeed Dean had actually put on weight since he had arrived, growing faster than ever, seeing more food than he ever had on the budget that Dad had given him to look after Sammy with.

  He still enjoyed the running, even if it was the same circuit every day. He could still just lose himself in his own thoughts while he let his legs carry him forward, switch on the autopilot.

  This morning though, when they entered the great hall there was something different. There was a cage in the middle of the floor filled with rabbits. The children all stared at it curiously, halting where they were in silence to take in the change.

   "Oi! Off with you!" Master Frank yelled, waving his hands at them.

  Each with a rather sheepish look on their face they set off around the hall. A slow jog at first that they would be able to maintain for longer- just as they had been taught. Dean, as always, found himself passing into the front with ease, able to run faster than the rest despite still being a bit shorter than Chad and Ty. He was catching up though, they no longer quite towered over him.

  Lap after lap they ran, fifteen in total- the number that their Master currently set for them. Many more than Dean came remember doing the first time. As he finished the last lap he came to a stop before the Master, panting and red faced yet he stood with a straight back, hands clasped behind him and feet shoulder width apart. Just as he was meant to, still keeping his head down, unwilling to get into more trouble than needed.

  The Master waited for a few seconds as the other five filled in, standing just the same as Dean in a straight line in front of Master Frank. Once they were all there he gave a small nod and they knew that they hadn't disappointed him.

  "Today we are going to kick start your killing nature," Frank told them bluntly, "this is the purpose of the rabbits. Each of you will take and kill a rabbit one by one. It is only a small creature but we have to start small to work up to the big things."

  None of them said a word, it would end in pain if they did because Master Alastair would undoubtedly hear of it. Instead they just stood there, unmoving. Dean wasn't bothered by the thought of killing a rabbit, he'd shot them before with Uncle Bobby and he'd had to kill peasants with his own hands before when the bullets had only injured them. He didn't think that all of his new siblings would have had that experience though.

 "Why don't you go first Mr Ackles?" Frank said gesturing to the rabbits.

  Dean looked at him and nodded before unclasping his hands and making his way over to the cage. The others followed his movements with silent gazes, turning to see how he did.

  He looked down at the little animals in the cage. There was all manner of rabbits, black ones, brown ones, patched ones. Fluffy ones, ones with floppy ears, ones with only fluff around their heads. There was twelve in total. Enough for two each. Did they had to kill two rabbits?

  "Just pick a rabbit Jensen and break its neck," Frank told him, moving over until he stood on the other side of the cage to him.

  Once again Dean nodded, feeling the watchful eyes of his friends on his back. Without hesitation the boy opened up the top of the cage and leaned down into it. The creatures scattered at his approach but eventually he managed to snare a black one. He brought it up and out, clutching it tightly to his chest with one arm, pushing himself back up with the other. The rabbit settle where he put it, trustingly snuggling in, nose twitching. It was cute and Dean wished that he didn't have to kill it but he did not want to be pulled off by Alastair again and it was only a rabbit. His dad had taught him not to be sentimental. His time in the Brick Base had taught him that being ruthless was the way.

  He crouched down and put the rabbit on the floor while keeping a hold of it. It twitched and tried to hop off, out of his grasp but he quickly gripped its shoulder in one hand, neck in the other and twisted.


	10. Rabbits

 Dean let the dead rabbit flop pathetically to the floor and stood to face his Master. There was no sound, no movement from his fellow trainees, but that was to be expected. Master Frank nodded to him and offered a small smile.

  "Well done Jensen, I take it that you have killed a creature before," their teacher guessed.

  Dean nodded silently, not quite wanted to indulge in a list of the kind of creatures that he had killed. He somehow thought that the supernatural list of creatures that he had in his head might brand him as mad and he had no idea of where that could lead him in this place. He never wanted to find out because one thing that he was certain of was that it wouldn't be a pleasant something.

  Dean took his place back besides his fellows, resuming his previous position and watching the rabbits like everyone else. He really wasn't bothered by the limp carcass that he had left outside of the cage but he could feel Cindy shifting uncomfortably at his side. Dean knew that she had never done anything like hunting before, that she didn't have the same advantages as he had from the life he had previously led. So the boy subtly leaning into the girl next to him in the hope that that little contact might calm her.

  Cindy glanced at him quickly as Ty was called out to off a rabbit and Dean knew that the touch had indeed helped. He looked away from her to where Ty had just caught a floppy eared grey rabbit who was just as happily sitting against Ty's chest as Dean's rabbit had been against his own. The Winchester's friend took longer to kill the rabbit than he had but Ty obviously remembered the bloody lashes across Dean's back that had healed into thick white scars. He obviously knew what was at stake when he killed the creature.

  Chad came up next but he took even longer than Ty to kill the rabbit. The Gen, she looked down at the rabbit she caught for mere moments before breaking its neck, she just looked relieved that she had caught one after the struggle she had had. That left Rachel and Cindy. Master Frank called up Cindy first.

  Dean's friend didn't look back at Dean as she strode forward with a false confidence, she knew if she did otherwise then there would be punishments. Hesitation had been cured with bruises and nasty cuts more than a few times when Master Alastair had shown his ratty face.

  Cindy had less trouble catching a rabbit than Genevieve did, cornering a small brown fluffy one and hauling it up. Her one wriggled more than any of the others that came before it and Dean couldn't help but wonder if that was because it could see all of its dead friends scattered around the training hall floor. Dean wouldn't blame it.

  Kneeling down as Dean had, Cindy took the rabbit's neck in hand but didn't move. Dean could see her throat work even as the little creature ripped at her hand with sharp, scrabbling claws. He kept his face emotionless as they had been taught even though he wanted more than anything to go over and help her.

  Long moments later another snap was heard in the room and Cindy shakily dropped the little rabbit next to the other ones. She stood and tried not to show how upset she was as she walked back over to where Dean and the others stood with almost as much conviction as when she had walked away.

  "Rachel," Master Frank called.

  The last trainee strode away from the line towards the cage, past the small pile of dead rabbits. With an ease that made even Dean jealous, she leant into the cage and easily grabbed a rabbit despite only being a little taller than her sister. Rachel lifted the thing out, shutting the lid once more before snapping the rabbit's neck not a second later. She looked to their Master for approval before dropping the rabbit with the others and walking back. The creature fell pathetically through the air, making no discernible sound as it landed and disturbed the pile of bodies.

  "Well you did that then Sicarius, good job because you wouldn't have liked the consequences if it had been any other way," Master Frank told them, his way of congratulating them.

  He tapped on the cage where there were six more rabbits, drawing the children's attention to them once more.

  "I know you can all count so you can see that there is six rabbits and six of you. Why is there six more rabbits? Well that is 'cause you are each getting one to look after."

  Dean felt his brow knit in confusion even as he watched the slowly twitching noses of the mammals beyond the mess before him. Why would they get to keep a pet? He could sense the confusion in his friends also but they all knew better than to voice their questions.

  "Responsibility. Maturity. Order. These are all values that the rabbits will give you, they are yours to look after and if your one of them dies then you will all have a back that looks like Mr Ackles' over here," Master Frank growled.

 Oh great, Dean thought to himself. He had never had a pet, never really been interested in having one with his dad's line of work. He had no experience and his rabbit would be dead within the week. The Winchester watched the things, one of them hopping innocently over to the other side of its cage as if it had no clue what had just happened to six of its friends. Course it wouldn't though, 'cause it was just a stupid rodent, Dean scolded himself silently.

  Master Frank began to pull rabbit after rabbit out of the cage, walking over and handing them to the children. One each. When he found the warm weight in his arms he looked down with a sinking stomach. He knew that Alastair would take any chance to hurt him again and this gave him the perfect opportunity.


	11. Outside

  The rabbits had a cage in one corner of their room and a chest of food and such. There had always been a rather leaky tap in the room, as far from the mattresses as they could make it. It all meant that the rabbits were entirely their responsibility and Dean hated it. His was a rather large black rabbit that just sat in the cage and chewed on something or other constantly.

  Cindy loved her little brown and white, floppy eared mammal from the moment that it had been put into her arms. She hadn't showed it in the training hall but as soon as they had left she had grinned brightly at him, hugging the creature tightly to her chest. All of the rest where the same with the exception of Rachel, she seemed just as paranoid about the whole business as he was.

  At night he would hear the little creatures scratching around their cage and all he could think of was the time he had been on a bad hunt with dad, stuck in a cupboard with a majorly pissed off werewolf scratching around. Every time he thought that he just concentrated on the feel of Cindy curled in his arms and Ty at his back. Still, for the first few nights, he didn't get all that much sleep. 

***

  They had had the rabbits for five days when their usual routine took a turn. Before that everything had been normal bar the pet upkeep but it seemed that Master Frank had plans to move them on in their training.

  Cindy had been more on edge every time they had gone to the training hall after the rabbit killing. Gradually though it seemed as if she was settling back down, in reality they all were. Even Dean felt a bit more nervous entering that room. They couldn't rely on it just to be for running and combat training...

  Anyhow, on that day five days later the six of them entered the hall and lined up just as they always did. Dean was itching to get running, knowing that today was a day where they would practise their combat. However, as Master Frank stood before them he did not send them off. For a moment he just stood there and looked them over as if searching for problems in the way they looked or the way they stood. It was an x-ray gaze.

  In the end he looked up and spoke.

  "We shall not be training in here today," he said and automatically Dean could feel the confusion rolling off of his new family, "today we are going to take a trip above ground, do the cardio and a bit of combat up above the building."

  Outside... They had been there, or rather Dean had been there for a little over seven months, probably nearer to eight. He'd lost count a long time ago of the days that he had been trapped in the network of underground brick corridors. All he knew was that he was ten years old now, that he had to have been for a bit, but again he had no idea exactly how long.

  That was how long Dean Winchester or rather Jensen Ackles had been down away from the sun. The little boy was more than ecstatic at the thought of seeing the sun again and he knew he wasn't the only one, he could sense it in the excited buzz coming off of his friends.

***

  Master Frank led the six of them down the corridors, this time Dean didn't even try to keep track of the twists and turns. All of them had to work hard in order not to break their necessary calm. Instead of bouncing off of the walls as they would all like, they all strode along in orderly pairs, each pair behind the other to form three lines of two. As they had been taught.

  Not a single voice was heard on their way to the surface.

  Finally they reached the stairs that led up to the door into the warehouse. He could remember the fear that had attacked him when he had descended those stairs eight months ago. The hot breath of Master Alastair on his neck...

  Even as he thought of the man, he saw him. The long legs carried their nightmare towards them, hands loosely clasped before him and that dangerous smirk firmly in place. Dean felt his joy drop away, any hint of hope once more leaving his features.

  He really did try not to cower away from the Master as he passed but Alastair's smooth, deadly movements caused him to cringe away slightly in fear as the man passed him. As ever the cold, eagle sharp eyes caught the movement and the man snapped his attention to Dean. Like it wasn't that way ever since the whipping all those months ago. 

  If it was possible, the silence got quieter as everyone stopped breathing. Everyone except Alastair who stood normally, hands in the same positon but eyes boring into Dean's downturned face. His heart thudded in his chest but he didn't turn to the man, knowing that the punishment would be severe. All of the children knew well the rath of Master Alastair by now.

  After an age, the hand cracked out. It slammed into the side of Dean's head causing him to stumble. If he wasn't so tense he would surely have fallen, another mistake that would have undoubtedly have cost him badly.

  "Sicarius don't show fear, they don't  _flinch_ ," Alastair spat, even though the mirth and the sneer were still very evident.

  "On with you," the man snapped a moment later.

  The six of the hurried to obey, following a now thin-lipped Master Frank up the stairs.

  They soon reached the warehouse door. Frank pulled out a set of keys from somewhere in the robe and fitted them into the door, the click echoing clearly through the still noiseless air. The door swung open and the eight stepped out into the semi-light of the warehouse, dust obscuring the windows and floating around in moats all around them. The dull light even in there seemed bright to the children after their extended period underground but their eyes soon adjusted. So they all stepped out into the sun outside the warehouse they could all feel the little sense of freedom even with Alastair's presence.

  It was more beautiful outside than Dean ever remembered.


	12. Taste of Freedom

  Dean stood there beside Cindy scanning their surroundings. They were in the same car park  area as he had been when his kidnappers had first pulled him out of that van. He had a better chance to look about him now, to take in every detail of the area. The park was surrounded by other warehouses, all of which lay beside a seemingly abandoned dock. Dean stared at the dark, murky water- which was still quite some distance away- he had never seen so much water in his life.

  Squinting against the impossible brightness of the sun, he slowly turned his head to take in the front of the warehouse, the place looked exactly the same as all the other warehouses. There were few cars parked in the lot but there was no one but them around. The warehouse was sat away from the rest that were on the harbour front and it was almost deathly, the sound of the water lapping against the river bank could be heard even from where they were.

  The boy took this all in in but a moment before their Master was shout at them.

  "Right we need to get you asses moving, I want three laps around these five closest warehouses!" Master Frank yelled at them.

  Dean certainly didn't need telling twice, setting off eagerly. It took a moment to remember that he had to pace himself and he slowed down until he fell back alongside Cindy. She had gotten a lot better in the ten or so months that they had been in this place. Dean supposed that he much be ten now, not that that mattered here. He knew he had grown in his time here, both physically and mentally that he was more capable now. He knew more maths than he had ever learned in school, he knew quite a bit of French and Spanish- it was easier than he thought it would have been. 

  The biggest thing was that he no longer felt weak and useless. He could fight better now than ever, he was stronger and faster and he could run for longer. He knew that in a fight he wouldn't really have a chance, he was still just a kid after all. He had Cindy at his side day and night and he knew that he loved her almost as much as he loved Sammy. She made him feel useful and she made him feel safer, particularly at night with her small arms wrapped around his small body as if warding away the darkness.

  Right at that moment all the good things that he was grateful for in the last months were pushed to the back of his mind as he ran. He felt the shock through his legs as his feet hit the ground, there was gravel and mud and grass. The sun shone down on his back, warming it. The boy glanced briefly at his friends- more like his family even now- and saw them all with slight smiles on their faces. Dean hoped this wouldn't be the last time they saw the sun.

***

  The runs soon became the highlight of their day, three laps around the warehouses in the morning and then ten laps around the training hall in the evening. At first there was only Master Frank that jogged along behind them or took cuts through the buildings in order to keep an eye on them. As if they'd try and escape. Where would they go?

 Soon though Master Alastair began to hang around them, following but never actually running after them and so the brief happiness they gained from the sun and day was washed away every time they felt the cold grey eyes watching them. As the days passed the joys of the daylight runs dulled even further as there was inevitably some form of pain to come at the end for anyone who dared to even look slightly pleased. They all bore bruises from the Master's fists and cuts from the Master's knife. 

  The first time that the blade had cut into his skin just above his collar bone he had had to tense every muscle in his body in order not to flinch away. Instead the ten year had stood there and let the knife cut through his robe and skin. It was harder the first time that that happened to Cindy though. Dean wasn't even meant to turn his head, instead he had to watch out of the corner of his eye and that night it was him that held her while she cried. 

  Now they were running for the third day of the second week- Dean could keep track of the days if he saw the sun- but today was the first day that it was raining. It was not the light kind of rain, it was the kind of rain that hammered down and soaked Dean to the bone. 

  He and the other children were pushing on through mud and sticky clay so that by the time they reached the end of their track, the six of them were exhausted, soaked through and shivering in the cold. As usual, Master Alastair was there watching as they came to a halt before Master Frank with hands clasped behind their backs. The look today was slightly more predatory than usual, the slight upward tilt of the pale, thin lips promised pain. 

  Dean refused to look more than out of the corner of his eye, knowing that it would end with him having at least a punch in the face. He was shivering though in his soaked through robe and the scars on his back from the whip that time ago were aching. The ten year old supposed that Master Alastair had seen how tired all of them were and was going to use it against them for sure. Master Frank seemed to have noticed it too, standing a bit straighter than usual, the line of his shoulders showing obvious tension. 

  "You seem to have been a bit slow today," the nasally voice said.

  As ever there was no reply from the six children- they were not allowed to- but Dean felt Cindy shift beside him slightly. The small sound of the shuffle of her feet against the gritty ground sounded painfully loud against the resounding silence. Master Alastair's head immediately whipped around, the cruel, pale gaze locking on the little girl. He heard Gen on his other side swallow slightly. 

  The crunch of Alastair's feet as he walked over to Cindy was the only sound to be heard, the sounds of the distant city and of the water in the harbour seemed to all fade away. He almost felt Cindy shaking even though they were standing a shoulder length apart. 


	13. T for Troublemaker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There should be another warning for child abuse here so that you are aware.

  The knife he pulled from his jacket reflected the sunlight, shining it over Cindy's chest. Dean didn't move but he knew that this time if the Master touched his friend then he would. He had promised that he would protect her, the scars and bruises and cuts on her body showed that he was failing so far. He couldn't let him touch her again.

  "Do you have anything to say girl," Master Alastair crooned.

 "No Master," was the small reply, Cindy looked at the man's shoulder just as they had been trained.

  "Really, well then why did you move?" the Master asked, drawing the flat of the blade down the side of Cindy's cheek.

  Besides her Dean tensed up watching carefully out of the corner of his eye hoping against hope that he wouldn't have to intervene. Then Master Alastair turned the blade, he was just about to cut when Dean leap forward and grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the knife. The grey eyes turned to him with smouldering rage and Dean knew he was in deep trouble. It was too late now though.

  He could almost hear the others holding their breaths. Indeed he realised that he was holding his too.

  "Well Mr Ackles," the man hissed, "I think we both know where you're going.

  Dean's face must have shown his fear because a cruel grin twisted the man's face. Master Alastair pulled Dean's hand off of his wrist and instead closed long fingers around the boy's upper arm in a harsh grip.

  "I will be taking Jensen for now Frank," Master Alastair said to the other  without looking away from Dean, " continue with the rest of them."

  With that, he dragged Dean away from the others. Rain ran down his face which helped to hide the tears that slid their way down the boy's cheeks. He shivered in both fear and cold as they entered the warehouse.

  Neither said a word or made a sound as they passed along the labyrinth of corridors. The Master strode forward purposefully with Dean stumbling along a step behind. When they reached the door the man stopped for a moment and leered back at the boy before opening the door and pushing Dean through. Just like the first time he fell to the floor where he couldn't help but cower. 

  "Haven't we taught you not flinch or fear yet Jensen?" The man crooned as he closed the door. 

  The smell of blood was all around him once more, the shadows danced around the corners of the room like a pack of wolves but he was more afraid of the man in the room with him. The door was closed with an ominous bang but Dean still managed to push himself onto shaking legs, hands clasped behind his back which was straight. He thought that his dad would be proud of him then, the thought surprised him as it was the first time in a long while that he had thought of John Winchester.  

  "Good. Now our last lesson went well but I see the anger in your eyes when I touch your friends. That's good for when your training is finished but not with your Masters boy," the man practically hissed. "You don't ever get in the way of your Masters."

  With that, Alastair grabbed the boy's arm and pulled him around and shackled his hands. This time though his robe stayed on and he could feel the water running down his back along side the sweat. 

  Behind him there was a hiss but he didn't dare look around. The boy clenched his fists above the manacles to stop his hands from shaking. Dean was smart enough at least to work out that he wasn't going to get the whip this time.

  "T for Troublemaker," Alastair hissed in his ear before a large hand grabbed the back of his head and held him in place.

  The next thing he knew was that there was an excruciating pain on the back of his neck. He bit down on his tongue until it bled knowing that if he screamed there would only be more pain. The Master held the thing- which Dean knew could only be red hot metal- to his neck for only a minute but it felt much longer. When the hand and the brand were finally removed Dean slumped down shaking, the bitter taste of copper filling his mouth.  _At least he didn't hurt Cindy_ was the only thought that he seemed  to be able to muster.

  "I'm gonna let you down now Jensen and you better stand. You're gonna walk back to that cell of yours and suck it up boy. What do you say?" Alastair breathed in his ear, body crowding into his for a moment before the cuffs were unlocked.

  Dean managed to get his feet under him just in time to stand. His wrists ached and his neck throbbed but he dared not touch either with his Master watching. Instead he followed after the man, hiding his shaking hands in the folds of his robes until they reached the cell.

  No one else was back yet, they would be soon though he knew. When Alastair left he flopped down onto his thin mattress. He rubbed his wrists and his hand hovered over the burn- brand?- on the back of his neck but he couldn't bring himself to touch it. Instead he ended up watching the rabbits. He went over and picked his out giant rodent and held it at arms length. Dean had never had a pet before and in a situation like this he couldn't help but feel that it wouldn't end well.

  The rabbit just hung there in his hands, limp and heavy. He had just put it back when he heard footsteps echoing down the hall. He moved back into the shadows where the light bulb couldn't reach and sat down on the mattress, careful not to move his neck. 

  The five other children, his friends or his siblings he couldn't yet decide, trailed in. The Master Frank handed a tube to Rachel who walked in last before he locked the gate and walked off without a word.

  "Here Jensen, this is for you," Rachel said, holding the tube out.

  It was ointment and Dean stood and gratefully took it. He could feel them all watching him as he squeezed some onto his hand and rubbed it ever so gingerly over the burn on his neck. He winced as the coolness covered the wound but nothing more.

  "What is it?" Dean asked Cindy later, just before the light went out but when everyone had settled down.

  None of them had really talked since they had returned. Ty and Cindy had just sat with Dean, the three curled into each other, Chad had been scratching something into the floor by one of the empty mattresses with an old nail he had found outside. Gen had been holding her rabbit most of the time and Rachel had been scribbling notes from one of their text books.

  Now though everyone but the two of them and Chad was asleep so Dean felt more comfortable in asking. The girl shuffled behind him and ran a gentle hand below the mark.

  "It's a capital T Jensen," was her reply.

  "T for Troublemaker," Dean breathed out remembering Master Alastair's words right before he branded him.

  "I'm so sorry Jensen, this is my fault," Cindy whispered, curling into Dean's side.

  The boy wrapped his arms around her and she did the same to him. He knew that Chad was watching them but it didn't matter. A while later once they were all curled up and the light had gone out Dean couldn't get to sleep. The ointment had numbed his brand so that wasn't what was keeping him up, instead it was the rabbits.

  The damn creatures kept scratching and scuffling around. For the past weeks he had managed to tune out the noise but tonight for some reason it brought back memories. He remembered when his dad had taken him on a hunt as bait and the werewolf they were hunting had got him cornered. The scratching on the door between him and the monster sounded like the scratching of the rabbits in that moment. He had been so scared then and he was scared now. He wanted to keep Cindy safe but he didn't want the punishments that Master Alastair dealt out.

  In that moment he missed Sammy so much. He tried not to think about his little brother because it only made him sad but in that moment as he hugged Cindy he could only think about hugging Sam.


	14. Anniversary

  They were all stood in a line, standing straight with hands behind their backs facing Master Frank. Dean's neck still ached even though it had been more than a couple months since his last encounter with Master Alastair- he thankfully hadn't seen the man once since. He thought that the pain might be more psychological than physical though. 

  "Do you know what today is Sicarius?" Master Frank addressed the children.

  "No Master," came the unanimous reply.

  As ever Master Frank's lips thinned at the title as if he didn't like it. Dean tried not to stare but he had been trained- even before Master Alastair had kidnapped him from that motel room- to spot the little things. It had gotten him approving little nods from their training Master on several occasions, which was as close to praise as the children ever got.

  "Today marks the day a year from your first day in Sicarius training. You are now all a third of the way through this," Master Frank enlightened them.

  Dean couldn't help but feel shocked. He knew that they had been at the Brick Base for a long time, he knew that at some point his birthday had passed and he had turned ten but he didn't know that he had been here a whole year. Well he would have been here more than that as he was in their cell for months before the training started.

  In that moment of realisation the boy felt a pang as he remembered his little brother. Sam had been hiding under the bed but Alastair had known he was there anyway. Their dad had been away and Dean didn't know how soon he would have returned to poor Sammy. How long had the little five year old be on his own? Dean knew his little brother was tough- it must be a family thing- but he was still only five.

  He was broken out of his thoughts as their Master spoke again.

  "When you have reached year two of your training more of you will be brought in- this is where Alastair is now, searching for potential candidates. Today though we step it up a notch with the killing," the man told them.

  So that must have been how Alastair knew about Sammy and knew to come when their dad was away; he had scouted them out. The thought made his skin crawl. Dean's second thought was what the hell were they going to be killing today? Last time they had killed rabbits. Rabbits... Just as he worked it out two nameless Masters entered carrying a small cage with their six rabbits inside.

  He felt Cindy tense up beside him. Maturity and responsibility sure. The first lot of rabbits were creatures they had now sentiment towards, these things they had kept and looked after for months. Dean was all of a sudden very glad that he hated the things so much and ever so worried for Cindy who loved her little pet.

  The cage was put down on the floor beside Master Frank who pointed at it saying, "you should know what I want you to do." 

  There was silence except for the banging of the doors closing behind the Masters, the sound echoing off of the walls.

  "Rachel, you were the last to kill a rabbit so this time you will be first, "Master Alastair stated, gesturing for the girl to come forward.

  The Master opened up the cage and Rachel reached in, pulling her rabbit roughly out of the cage. The grey rabbit only lived for another moment in her hands before she snapped it's neck without a moment's hesitation. The girl allowed the body of the little creature to drop to the floor before she made her way back to the line.

  "Cindy."

  Dean's friend stepped forward, she was pale but other than that her face was blank. Like they had been taught. She reached into the cage and pulled out her pet. It was a long moment that the thing sat in her arms before she snapped it's neck and let it fall to the floor. Dean was actually surprised that she had been able to kill it that quickly, it was certainly quicker than the last rabbit and she hadn't got connected to that one.

  As Cindy stood back in line Gen was called up. Reverse order to how they'd done it last time, looked like he was going to go last then. Out of the corner of his eye, Dean watched Cindy and saw that she was as pale as a sheet. Unlike last time, Dean didn't dare lean into her, they were standing a far enough distance from each other and Dean didn't want either of them punished. They both had more than enough scars already.

  Gen walked over slowly and picked out her rabbit but took no longer than her sister to kill her pet but she, like Cindy, was a lot paler by the time that she returned to the line. Then it was Ty's turn, he took perhaps a second longer than Cindy to kill his pet, Chad- when his turn came- a moment longer still.

  "Jensen," Master Frank called and Dean strode forward.

  He made his way up to the cage where the lone rabbit sat and lent in to pick it up. The thing died only a moment after that as he snapped the neck as soon as he got his hands on it. Did they really think that this was going to be good enough preparation for them to kill people though? Pet rabbits were one thing. People a whole other thing. 

***

  That night Cindy cried silently into his shoulder. He held her in his small arms and kissed her head but he felt helpless. He had promised himself that he would help her but who was he fooling, he was a ten year old kid stuck in some assassin training camp. He was as useless as his dad always said. 

  Even the last thing he tried to do to save his brother had been insufficient. If Master Alastair had wanted to he could have pulled Sammy out from under the bed and chocked him with his bare hands and Dean wouldn't have been able to stop him. Dean wasn't even able to stop him when he had a gun pointed at him. He couldn't believe that it had been more than a year since that night. Was Sammy even alive? How did Dad mange to hunt cause he couldn't just leave Sammy? Dean hadn't been there to look after his little brother for more than a year. Hadn't been there to protect him and even when he was he would have failed.

  He was never going to be able to protect Cindy. All he could do was give he a hug and block out the world and the Brick Base for a few minutes.

  Eventually he heard her breathing even out and felt her relax in his arms as she fell asleep. He felt Ty roll over then and the older boy wrapped an arm around Dean as he did most nights. The younger boy cuddled into him and sighed. What would this have all been like if he had been alone? Unbearable. That was what it would have been.

  "You okay brother," Ty whispered in his ear.

 "Yeah, I'm okay. You okay?"

  "I'm okay."

  "Good. Night Ty."

  "Night Jensen."

  That night there was no scrabbling of rabbits and, despite everything, Dean was able to sleep at least a little better than he had been.


	15. Sammy

  Sam remembered the night that the grey eyed man took Dean all too well. His big brother had been so brave holding the gun up to the man. He wanted to help his brother but he was paralysed with fear and Dean always told him that he was too small to fight anyway. 

  Then Dean stumbled backwards and fell and the man had grabbed his big brother and Dean bit him because he was brave but then the man had punched Dean. When Dean fell to the floor he locked eyes with Sammy and it was almost as if Dean knew Sam was going to cry because he put a finger to his lip.  Sam bit back his sob because he didn't want the man to hit him but then the man spoke and he knew already that Sammy was there.

  " And you don't have to worry either, your brother will be left behind, he's too young for what we want," the grey eyed man said in his horrible, nasally voice.

  The man picked Dean up and he saw his brave big brother struggle before he went limp. Sam only watched as the man left with his brother slung over his shoulder. At the sound of the motel door slamming, Sam finally let the tears flow and the sobs to wrack his small body.

  It must have been hours that Sam lay under the bed and when he eventually crawled out he went to the gun. He gripped the cold metal in his hand to stop it from shaking. He wanted his brother back now but it was too late and the man had taken him. 

  The boy looked around the grotty motel room. He was alone, the only sounds coming from the occasional cars that passed on the road beyond. He didn't know when his dad would be back and what would he do then. His dad would never be proud of him when he told him that he had hidden under the bed and let Dean be taken.

***

  In the end John had returned to the motel three days after Dean had been kidnapped. Sam had eaten all of the food that had been left and was asleep, curled up in the blankets of his bed. When John saw that Dean was not there he had been angry but Sam woke suddenly and scrambled away from him and it was obvious something bad had happened.

  Sam was shaking as his dad pulled him close and he couldn't answer John's question of where was Dean because the words just got stuck in his throat. He gripped his dad's flannel tight in his tiny fist, buried his face in his dad's chest and just cried.

  "Ssh it's okay Sammy. Just tell me where your brother is," his dad soothed, running a hand through Sam's overgrown hair.

  "The man took him Dad," Sam chocked, looking up at his dad with tears still streaming down his face.

  "What man Sammy?" Dad asked with a furrowed brow.

  "The man with the grey eyes. He took Dean away but he said I was too young so he left me and I just hid under the bed Dad. I just let him take Dean and I hid under the bed," Sam sobbed.

  "You did the right thing. You wouldn't have been able to help Dean. I'm glad you stayed under the bed and that you stayed safe," John told him, kissing the boy on the top of his head.

  "But what about Dean Dad? The man took him away days ago?"

***

  Sam sat at the table at Bobby's house swinging his legs back and forth as he lent over his homework, scribbling away. His dad was off, either hunting or looking for Dean. Sam thought it was probably the first, his dad had given up on Dean a long time ago. When John had first come back to the motel and found Dean gone he had called Pastor Jim and Uncle Bobby and all his other contacts reaching out to try and find a way to find Dean.

  Months had passed though and now it was well over a year and still they had found nothing. Sam knew that Bobby hadn't given up on his big brother but Dad no longer seemed to care. Whenever Sam brought Dean up John would tell him to shut up, that Dean was probably dead and that they would never see him again. Sammy had gone off to cry then, he didn't like crying in front of his dad but he couldn't help but cry. Dean had always been there for Sam before and now he was just gone.

  "You okay there Sam?" Bobby asked as he entered the room.

  "Yeah," the boy muttered, squirming in his chair.

  "Don't lie to me boy. I know your daddy teaches you to lie but you don't lie to me. I'm here to look after you so you tell me what's wrong," Bobby said curtly but Sam knew that he wasn't really mad at him.

  "I was thinking about Dean," Sam mumbled to his paper.

  "Dean?"

  "Yes. Do you think that Dad is looking for him now?" Sam asked the man.

  "No Sam. He's hunting a werewolf. Your brother's been gone near eighteen months boy. You know that kidnapped children don't normally ever resurface after forty-eight hours let along a year and a half," Bobby said kindly, bending down to Sam's level.

  "You've given up on him too!" Sam exclaimed, horrified because he thought that at least Uncle Bobby would still be trying. 

  "Sam--"

  "No, I won't give up on Dean. He's not dead like Dad says, he's too brave and too strong for that. He's okay and I will never give up on him!" Sam told Bobby.

  The older man looked sad and he cupped the boy's cheek in his rough hand but Sam just jerked away. He had tears welling in his eyes, he could feel them but he wasn't going to cry in front of Bobby. He was six now, he was big, not as big as Dean but he wan't a baby.

  "I'm going to find him Uncle Bobby. Even if you and Dad and everyone else has given up. He's my big brother and I will find him Bobby!"

  "I believe that you'll never give up boy but don't hope too hard. You need to focus on your own life, Dean would want that and you know that so get on with your homework now Sam."

  Sam swallowed thickly and nodded. He looked back at his work and rubbed a harsh hand over his eyes as Bobby stood and slowly left the room. He knew that the man had stopped and was looking at him but he focused on homework instead. He would find Dean, he would never give up on him.


	16. Training

 After they killed the rabbits their training seemed to intensify. After a year of languages they started having weeks where they could only speak a certain language. French, German, Spanish and even Mandarin. Dean hated it at first but he followed Chad's lead when he continued to speak in french the first week even after they were locked back up in their cells.

  Dean had rolled his eyes at first but had replied in the same language. It was strange that because even though Chad was the oldest out them he was not by any means a leader in the group. None of them were really. They took all their cues from their Masters. The six of them were equal to each other, they had become family over the time they had been at the Brick Base. Dean may have lost Sammy but his family had really only grown, now he had two new brothers and three sisters.

  Other than language they were taught basic maths and science- stuff that even Dean could keep up with. Their main teaching time however was spent on Sicarius' main objective; assassination.

  They were taught how to fight before. They all knew the pressure points on a person and where best to hit, which points were weakest. Now they were taught the best places to put a knife and how to wield one. They were taught how to use knives and guns. Dean excelled at that part having been trained by his father ever since he was old enough. Rachel was good as well and it turned out that she had been the one that used to protect Gen. Ty had been hunting twice with his father before when he was someone else. Chad was a tough street kid through and through, catching on quick, the same was true for Gen. Little Gen was so small and petite but she was deceptively  strong, quick and crafty. 

  Alastair was always there though, watching intently at every turn. As the days and weeks and months wore on Dean could feel the constant presence wearing on him, he felt nervous and jumpy whenever the man was around and that was not good, that was likely to get him punished.

  Then there was a day where everything stepped up another notch.

  They did their usual run out in the sun before they retreated back into the Brick Base and did a couple of hours of training. Then a couple of Masters in white robes came in. One was carrying a chair the other was dragging a blindfolded, gagged guy.

  All six of the trainees where completely still, no one even shuffled a millimetre as the chair was placed and the man strapped to it. The guy was shaking but he made no sound through the material stuffed in his mouth.

  "Before you Sicarius is a man, who he is does not matter to you now or ever," Master Frank stated firmly, walking over to stand behind the man," all he is to you is a means of teaching. Today I am going to demonstrate how it actually looks to stab a man and kill a man. Hence he is wearing white."

  Dean hadn't noticed that before but now he saw that everything the man wore was a dirty white. It wasn't the robes of the Masters but a tight fitting shirt that showed how thin he was and slacks, his feet were bare and filthy. He imagined then the blood that would soak into the white. He'd seen things die with his father on hunts but this wasn't a thing, this was a man.

  Master Frank began then. He drew a knife and spoke, explaining his actions as he went. The blade went into the flesh of the man's leg, cutting across the artery there. That was when the guy made his first sound, a pained moan. He wouldn't live long now and Master Frank said so as the bled out, red soaking in. The children stood silent and watched as their Master demonstrated a few more places before finally sinking the blade into his heart.

  They continued their training for the day with the dead man in the chair, all of them quiet and subdued. Cindy in particular was pale, Dean himself felt shocked and horrified every time the dead man and the pool of blood around the base of the chair.

***

 That wasn't the last time that a person was brought in. Over the course of a few months several more people. They were men and woman, young and old, black and white, fat and thin. It didn't matter, they were all brought in and killed. Master Frank demonstrated different ways that people could die, all the things that they had been taught shown to them. 

  There was a week where every day a person was brought in and a different poison was used on them.

  Every time that a person died Cindy would be unable to sleep, Dean would lie awake with her and hold her. They would never say anything but Cindy would curl into him with her head resting on his chest while he would bury his face in her hair. He knew in those moments that he loved the girl. He was nearly eleven and he used to reason that he didn't really know what love was but he knew now that he loved her. 

  Those nights though, as much as he loved the little girl, he would find himself imagining that Cindy was Sammy. He would clutch his amulet where it lay always around his neck and remember what his little brother looked like, how his breaths sounded when he was sleeping and how his hair smelt when he and Dean curled up together in the same motel bed at night.

  He just hoped that his brother was okay. Sure Alastair had left him alone but Sammy had been five when he'd been left completely alone. He wouldn't be able to look after himself because that was Dean's job.

  When he thought about that though he tried to shut off. He couldn't worry about Sammy anymore, it had been over a year and he couldn't look after him anymore. All Dean could hope was that Dad had got back in time and was looking after the boy now. Sammy had always been John's favourite, Dean knew he wouldn't let him suffer.


	17. Killers

  They ran around the dock as they did every morning, faster each day. It was the best part of the day hands down. The sun and fresh air was such a welcome relief after being underground. It used to be that going back into the base was claustrophobic after being in the light of day, now it was just disappointing.

  When they came back down into the training hall though, there was already people in their, blindfolded and gagged, tied to chairs. The six children lined up as they should but Dean felt a chill run through him when he saw that there was six chairs and six people. There had never been more than one before. Now there was six, and there was six of them. It didn't take a genius to work out what was about to happen and Dean couldn't help the shuddering breath that escaped him at the thought. It was bad enough that they had to watch the killings...

  "Sicarius," Master Frank addressed them, " today marks eighteen months of training." 

  Eighteen months of training... wow. Time always seem to drag and flew simultaneously here. He heard the door open and close then, seeing Master Alastair enter out of the corner of his eye. Dean had to resist the urge to look around, instead refocusing on Master Frank and the prisoners that they were undoubtedly going to have to kill.

  "These men and women before you are going to be your first kill. You are Sicarius exactly half way through your training and it is about time that you kill a person. It will be your life in another eighteen months and it my job to prepare you. Now come and stand behind them," Master Frank instructed.

  At once the six of them stepped forward and went to stand behind the victims. Dean tried hard not to show how much he was shaking. Cindy was standing on one side of him, Ty on the other. The person in front of him was a woman with salt and pepper hair, she was shaking almost as much as he was but, like the first man they saw die, she was not making a sound. A few of the others were whimpering though, the only sound in the room. From this angle Dean could clearly see Alastair watching them with a slight smirk curling the corners of his pale lips and an evil 

  "There is rope beside each chair. Pick it up and kill them the way you have been taught," their Master instructed.

  As soon as Dean looked down and saw the aforementioned rope he leaned down and grabbed it. He felt strange as if he were standing outside his body watching. The kid was vaguely aware of everyone else, most hesitating but all ultimately picking up the rope in fear of the man in the corner of the hall.

  Dean was the first one to put the rope around his victim's neck. It was only slack for a moment but then he tightened his grip and pulled back. The woman choked around the gag in her mouth and struggled but he didn't let up. He felt Master Alastair's stare boring into him but he refused to look up. As soon as the woman was dead he let the rope go and stepped back, hands clasped behind his back.

  He was shaking violently and had the horrifying urge to cry. There was no way that he was going to do that though, both because Alastair was there and because Cindy was there.

***

  They were sent straight back to their cell after the killings, no training at all. Everyone was pale and as they settled down on their mattresses no one spoke. All of them were in shock, Gen and Rachel were curled up together on Rachel's bed, Cindy, Ty and Dean cuddled up on Ty's while Chad sat hunched in on himself on his own fiddling with a loose piece of brick.

  One of Dean's hands were wrapped around the amulet, the other around Cindy while he leaned back against Ty. The older boy wrapped them both up in his arms and rested his chin on the top of Dean's head.

  "How were you able to so that so quickly Jensen?" Chad asked quietly.

  Dean looked up at his friend for a moment. Chad looked somber but he didn't look accusatory so Dean answered him. 

  "Because I needed to do it and if I didn't do it quickly then I didn't think I'd be able to do it at all," he said.

  Chad just nodded, Ty tightened his grip on Dean and no one else said anything for a long while. Dean looked down at Cindy to see silent tears running down her young, smooth cheeks. He turned his head to kiss her temple, the action causing her to lean further into him.

  "We're going to just kill more people. We'll get used to it eventually. It'll be okay," Rachel said after a while.

  "It'll be normal..." Ty murmured.

  "My dad used to save people, that used to be his job. Kill the monsters. The Masters are making us into those kind of monsters that hurt people, the kind that my dad would have to kill," Dean told them all.

  "Your dad kills people?" Gen asked, pulling away from her sister slightly.

  "No. Just monsters," Dean replied.

  No one said anything for the rest of the day or night. Things were too silent with no murmuring voices, not even the rabbits that they had killed all those months ago. Dean just couldn't quite believe that he had been here for so long, more than a year and a half and eighteen months spent training to kill people.

  He lay there and rubbed the scar on the back of his neck, fingers tracing over the T. Cindy was sleeping against him, her back pressed into his chest. He could feel her heart beating and thought about that lady he had killed. She didn't have a heartbeat anymore because of him. Then again if he had refused to kill her then maybe Alastair would have killed him instead, he was more than capable of that Dean had no doubt.


	18. The Brothers

  None of then realised the time that had passed, Master Frank didn't mention anything either. Not that Dean minded really because it was a change. Their lives had continued much in the same way, each of them had now killed several prisoners that the Masters had brought in. By that point it didn't bother Dean anymore, he knew that really that made him a bad person but he couldn't help it. It was almost normal.

  The day it happened, they hadn't killed anyone. Just trained and ran and fought and studied. It meant that by the time they were trudging back down the long, dark brick corridor they were all dead on their feet. As ever Master Frank unlocked the door with a clank that echoed dully off of the walls.

  Chad was the first in, he must have stopped at the sight that greeted them but Dean wasn't really concentrating. Something that he knew was bad because they always had to be alert. He saw them though when he got through, was staring himself when he heard the door clank shut behind them.

  There at the back of the room, half bathed in shadow, where three boys. Two looked back defiantly at them but the third, a scruffy haired, blue eyed boy, looked on nervously. The third boy looked to be the same age as Cindy and himself but he couldn't really be sure.

  "Hi, I'm Chad," Chad greeted eventually, holding out his hand.

  One boy, with long, mousy hair, stood up and took the hand, "I'm... Wait what name do I tell you?"

  "The one that they gave you," Ty told them.

  "So your name isn't really Chad?" the second fair haired boy said. He had blue eyes like the third boy but his hair was fair like the first only short.

  "My name is Chad, has been for... hell its been two years now guys," Chad said, half turning to Dean and the others.

  "God yeah. Well hell that went quick," Rachel said with a little smirk.

  Two years... One more year until they finished their training and could be official Sicarius and go out into the world. It was all of a sudden exciting. 

  "So I am Richard then. This is Sebastian and Misha," the boy, Richard, told them. He seemed quite bold.

  "Cool. Well you know I'm Chad. This is Ty, Rachel and Gen are sisters and this is Jensen and Cindy," Chad introduced, gesturing at each in turn.

  "Oh right. We're brothers," Richard told them.

  "Why are we here?" the dark haired boy, Misha, asked. The first thing that he said.

  His eyes were scared and oh so blue. Dean really wanted to just go over and sit with him, lean in and comfort him with just his presence and his touch. He itched to do it although it was a different itch to wanted to do the same with Cindy. For the moment he stood there, no one was answering the question.  In the next moment he decided that he was going to got and sit besides the boy.

  The blue eyes turned to Dean and he smiled, somewhat sadly, back at him, leaning in so that their sides where pressed together. He was thankful when Misha didn't pull away but rather leaned in closer. A moment later, Cindy came and sat down besides him, then Ty joined them, then Chad and Richard sat back down and then Rachel and Gen until they were all sitting together. They were all leaning into each other and Dean could tell how much that meant to the three new boys. It was what the six of them had always done, curled up together for the comfort and support and familiarity. Now they were including the new boys.

  The question still hasn't been answered though so Dean decided that he really should," we're here because they are training us to be assassins."

  He said it bluntly because their was no point in sugar coating it. Misha turned to him with fearful eyes again and even his two brothers looked scared.

  "Don't worry, its not that bad. We have each other," Gen said to them.

  "That's right, Gen and I were born sisters but now all of us here are brothers and sisters," Rachel added.

  "Yup. You're now part of the family," Chad smiled.

***

  That night when they went to sleep Dean looked over to where the three new boys were lying. He couldn't see them because the light was out and it was pitch black but he knew Misha was the one lying closest to him. The scruffy boy's shoulder was against his own, he was rigid and Dean knew he wasn't asleep.

  "Hey you awake?" he asked anyway, resting a hand on the boy's elbow.

  "Yeah I'm awake," Misha whispered back.

  Dean turned over and pulled Misha close to him. Behind him Cindy rolled over too and put her arms around his waist was Dean pulled Misha close to him. That was how he fell asleep, between the two children.

***

  When the lights came on the next morning Misha was still curled into his chest. Cindy had rolled away at some point into Gen but Misha was still there. He couldn't help but smile at the boy, his hair even scruffier than the night before. Misha's head was resting against Dean's chest, one arm curled over Dean's waist. 

  He was reluctant to disturb the new boy but the lights where on and they had to get up. Already the other five were rising and so Dean pulled himself away and sat up too. He clutched at the amulet around his neck as he did every morning as if to make sure it was still there. It always was.

  Misha groaned quietly and then jolted awake as Dean jostled him. He looked around him and Dean could see the terror in his face as he slowly remembered where he was.

  "Hey, you're okay," Dean smiled.

  Just then Master Frank came marching down the corridor. He unlocked the door and stood aside to let the children out. The sound of the door jolted Richard and Sebastian awake, the two rubbing their eyes even as the six Sicarius made their way out. Dean saw Misha jump up out of the corner of his eye but Master Frank raised a hand to stop him.

  "You three stay here," he said gruffly. 

  The door was locked behind them and their Master led them away from the brothers back down the corridor for another day of training.


	19. Accepting

  Misha wasn't like his older brothers who were both bold and hid any fear they may have. As far as Dean could tell Richard was the oldest and Misha the youngest. Misha was the only brother with dark hair, it stuck up at all angles and Dean found that he loved to ruffle it up further. Every time that he did that he made the other boy giggle.

  He found out that Misha was eleven like him and Cindy. He also knew that the boy was very shy and awkward but he seemed to open up to Dean and Cindy- Dean in particular. They would whisper to each other and giggle about the most ridiculous things as soon as the six who get back to their cell in the evening. At that point, the three brothers hadn't left the cell. Dean supposed that Master Alastair was going to get more kids before they were all trained together just like what happened with the six of them.

  Indeed a fortnight later a new boy was brought in. He was smaller than all of the rest of them and Asian. The rest of them where already in the cell for the night when Master Frank walked the boy down the corridor. He looked like he was going to wet himself as he stood there clutching his sleeping bag long after the door had been closed behind him.

  As ever, Chad stepped up to welcome the boy. This time though Richard stepped up as well and offered his hand in greeting. The boy took it silently and didn't say a word all night, sat in the corner and stared into space until the light went out and Dean couldn't see him anymore.

  The next morning when the light came on Dean untangled himself from Misha and Cindy only to see the new boy curled up in the corner facing away from them all. As everyone else woke up he went over to him.

  "The sooner you except this the easier it will be. My name's Jensen by the way. What's yours? The one that they gave you I mean," Dean whispered, leaning over him with a hand on his shoulder.

  "Osric," was the answer that Dean got after a long moment.

  "Cool, well welcome to the family Osric," Dean greeted before he stood and went over to the others as Master Frank came down the corridor.

***

  Two days later they came back to find a new girl. She had blond hair and wild brown eyes. Already she was sat with Sebastian and Richard. Osric was closer but still shy and didn't like to curl up with them at night.

  "Hey," Chad greeted with a grin.

  "Hey," the girl replied from behind her hair.

  She looked fearsome and Dean liked her straight away. The girl obviously say him staring because she glared back, defiant, and Dean couldn't help but grin at her.

  Turned out her name was Alona and she was ten, she said she wasn't afraid but Dean knew that she must be. He said he wasn't afraid but most the time he was. Still, he respected that in her, she was strong and he knew that she would be good in the training.

***

  Two weeks after Alona came there was another girl Felicia. The six of them couldn't talk to her though because it was a German week and none of them were stupid enough to think that they would get away speaking English even if it was to introduce themselves. She was funny though, red haired and quirky. When Richard explained the situation she gave a laugh and said that she couldn't speak German but she could speak Klingon.

  Dean liked her too because she was obviously scared but she seemed to joke when she was scared or nervous. When Richard told them what they were there for she cried silently, just tears running down her round child's cheek. She said she wouldn't be able to kill anyone, that she didn't want to.

  In that moment Dean really wished that he could speak to her but he couldn't. Instead, Cindy went over and wrapped her in a hug. Dean loved how much stronger his friend was now, although he supposed that becoming a killer would do that. The thought made him want to cry then because he suddenly hated all of the Masters so much for what they did and all of a sudden he missed Sammy which was stupid because he hadn't seen his brother in over two years. Sammy would be seven now. Maybe he had had a haircut by now, maybe their dad finally persuaded him or he got fed up of the shaggy hair and pinned Sam down to cut it by force. That thought cheered him up.

  The amulet around his neck felt heavy then as he watched Felicia and Cindy. His life was so incredibly different and strange now which was something as he had never led a normal life before. This life though was so much darker and more twisted but he had a bigger family now.

  Misha came over to him then as if he sensed his upset. The boy leaned into Dean's side and Dean turned slightly so that he could bury his face in his friend's neck. It had been just over a month now since Misha and his brothers had been brought down into the Brick Base but Dean felt like he had known the other boy forever. 

  "I can't wait until we run tomorrow," Dean said randomly as the thought came to his head- he said it in German of course so Misha only looked at him curiously while the other five original trainees nodded.

  "Is that all you ever think about?" Ty laughed.

  "No but it's the best bit," Dean defended with a smile, pulling away slightly from Misha but making sure that they were still touching.

  "It really is though, you have to admit," Cindy joined.

  It worked, just that little reminder had all six of them smiling again. Rachel opened her mouth then to add something but Richard cut across her.

  "Just stop. Don't speak until this goddamn week is up and you can actually speak English again. This German is sending me nutty!" he exclaimed.

  "Too late for that," Rachel snorted in German which caused the six to burst out laughing while the others looked on confused- something that only made their laughter worse.


	20. New System

  It was a strange kind of new system. Something new mixed with the old, it was disconcerting for Dean and the other original five who had lived with the same regime for more than two years now.

  There was the new recruits now, they came into training about a week after Felicia came. Dean liked them all, they were the same kind of age as Dean and his five were so they were older than when Dean had arrived. Their spirit hadn't been yet either and that was refreshing. Whereas it used to be that they would get back to the cell and fall asleep now they came back and chatted and even messed around sometimes. Dean and Misha had grown close surprisingly fast and Cindy would always tease them about how cute it was- Misha would turn red as Dean tackled the girl to the ground before furiously tickling her.

  In the hall they would be separated out into their two groups with the new lot learning the basics and Dean's group continuing with their physical training which was by that point more rehearsal than anything. When it came to the killing Master Frank would take the new group off for their academic lessons while- to all of their horror- Master Alastair instructed them. The grey eyed man took to bringing a crop to those lessons and putting deep lashes into the children's flesh if their victims didn't die quickly enough or if they did a sloppy job of it.

  It was a common thought of Dean's to wonder where of these people had come from although he had decided long ago that he didn't really want to know and that it was probably safer not knowing anyway. Where they the first lot of Sicarius or not? Were there more in active duty?

  There was a silent agreement it seemed also that none of them would mention the killings to the new kids. They were more frequent as they entered their final year of training, even killing in the same way more than once. It was an awful norm for them by that point and while they would go back to the cell more subdued than other nights they were far better than the mess that they would have been before. The first night that they came back after a kill after the new kids arrived Misha had asked what was wrong. Dean had not replied. In the end all of the new kids had asked and the original six had ignored them. In the end the new bunch learned not to ask.

***

  The best training soon turned from running to obstacles. They would have courses in the dock, elaborate stacks of various material which they had to climb or a course that they had to race along. It was all in preparation Dean supposed for if they were ever chased.

  Then they learnt how to drive. Dean was almost as tall as Chad by that point but Ty was still taller- in all though he was still an eleven year old kid. Or was he twelve? He wasn't sure anymore. It meant either way that he was short and driving was tricky. They all got a hang of it quickly though and Dean in particular loved to drive along and pretend that it was the impala that he was controlling.

  They also learnt orienteering, reading maps and using compasses. Again Dean's previous life helped massively with his progression having spent many a camping trip with his dad learning such skills. It was something that was key for a hunter.

  Probably best of all though was the night training. That was when the floodlights were on in the docks, bathing the place in an artificial white light and made the shadows dance. During those sessions they were taught to move silently through the shadows. At first Master Frank had been in charge of those and then off course all joy was sucked out when Master Alastair stepped in. The man would use his whip on any child that he either heard or saw- admittedly they all improved a lot faster then.

***

  It was one of the days that they were training on the obstacle course that Dean saw him. The man that he remembered was Master Crowley. The one in the suit with receding hair and a British accent. He hadn't seen the man since the first day that he had arrived at the Brick Base and it struck him as odd that he would appear now.

  Master Frank got them all lined up, sweaty and panting, before him and the other Master. Master Crowley was holding a clip board to his chest but he looked down at it and quickly flicked through a few things after gazing at the students.

  "Chad Lindenburg," Crowley called out and Master Frank motioned for Chad to step forward.

  Chad stepped forward smoothly and stood still in his position as Crowley strode around him, looking the boy up and down. When he came back around to face the oldest boy he took his face in one hand, turning it from side to side and inspecting it, opening his mouth and looking at Chad's teeth like he was some kind of livestock. The same happened with Ty after Chad stepped back and then it was Dean's turn.

  "Jensen Ackles," Crowley called and Dean couldn't help but reflect how two years ago he would have refused to answer to that name. God he was weak. His father would be ashamed. His brother would be too. That thought made Dean feel hollow and he could only stand there numbly as the gaze swept over him. Master Crowley's hand was clammy on his face and he couldn't help but feel humiliated at the dehumanising display.

***

  That night when they had returned Dean had felt more emotionally drained than he had in a while- not even with the killing. It was the old thoughts of old family. Family that he had been taught was not his anymore. He felt like a traitor for even thinking of Sammy and Dad as family and then he felt guilty for feeling like a traitor. 

  In the end he and Misha curled up together, the other boy placing a soft kiss on his temple as Dean clutched at the amulet. Cindy briefly hugged him before curling into Ty. Sometimes he felt guilty that that happened, that he cuddled into the other boy and that made her feel that she couldn't join. He had said that to her once and she had just smiled and punched him on the shoulder and said that it was fine- Ty was her brother too and him and Misha looked so cute curled up together. He had punched her back. Then he was struck by how strong she was now, far from the frightened nine year old he had first met and comforted. 


	21. Sicarius

  Master Frank had told them the day before that it was their last day of training, that the following morning would bring drastic changes to their lives. When they were told Dean and the others all kept their faces blank but inside Dean was reeling. 

  That night when they went back to their cell they were there before the new group. None of them spoke, none of them knew what they could possibly say. Dean was sat in in corner of the room at the back away from the other five. It was strange, none of them were even touching when normally they would all curl up together. A strange thought hit Dean then as he looked over at his family; if it had been three years then he was twelve, a year off of being a teenager. Sammy would be eight now he thought a moment later although he shut that line of thought down quickly instead just gripped the warm metal of the amulet around his neck.

  He was broken from any thoughts by the sounds of footsteps echoing down the corridor and then the sight off the six new kids and Master Frank. That was strange too, the fact that everyone still thought of the other six as the "new group" still even though they had obviously been here a year now and Dean felt as though he had known them- Misha in particular- forever.

  "Hey Jensen," Misha said quietly as he came and sat down next to Dean, pressing right up against him. 

  "What's up with you lot?" Richard- or Dick as he had been so aptly nicknamed- asked as he looked over Dean's group.

  "We... we're leaving tomorrow morning. Our training is over," Chad said, staring resolutely at the far wall beyond the bars of the cell down the corridor.

  "Oh," was the only sound uttered, coming from Sebastian. 

  Dean could feel Misha's eyes on him but Dean just looked at the floor. It struck him then that he might not see Misha again for the next two years until the new group completed training and Dean didn't know if he could deal with that. He had grown to love the boy over the last year- he was closer to him now than he was to Cindy. 

  He felt Misha reach out and rub the back of his neck over the old "T" scar- he vaguely remembered the look of horror on his friend's face when Dean had answered his question about it's origin. The green eyed boy turned and looked up into blue eyes and leaned into him until his head was against Misha's chest, tucked in under his chin. Misha wrapped his arms around Dean and they stayed like that in the corner with the cold brick pressing roughly into skin until the light went out. Finally when it was dark they lay down on the bed in the corner, still wrapped up together, Dean pressed into Misha's chest. As he was finally falling asleep he felt the other boy press a kiss to his temple, warmth spreading from that spot.

***

  The light turned on too soon the next morning and Dean had to force himself to let go off Misha where he had curled his hands into the other boy's robe as he slept. Misha looked at him sadly with those blue eyes and Dean suddenly really wanted to kiss him. Looking around he saw that no one was watching, they were all getting ready for the day, so he quickly pressed his lips to Misha's before pulling away and getting up. He could feel Misha staring at his back but he didn't look around because he was struggling not to cry.

  It wasn't more than a moment later before Master Frank and Master Crowley approached down the corridor. Dean and his other five were ordered to go off with Master Crowley and they were marched off down the corridor leaving to others behind. Dean couldn't look back for fear of punishment.

  They were taken to a part of the Brick Base that they had never been to before. There they showered and were given new, crimson robes to put on before they were marched into another room where two Masters that Dean had never seen before.

  "Now this is what is going to happen," Master Crowley announced with that accent of his, "You are each now going to stay completely still and you are going to be branded so take off the top half off your robes please."

  The short man waited as the six pulled off their top halves, he was bouncing on the balls of his feet so Dean tried to concentrate on that instead of how his hands were shaking. The back of his neck ached where the brand was there and he was not looking forward to experiencing that again.

  "After that you will be shown to your new quarters where I will then brief you on what will now be expected of you," Crowley continued after they had all finished their task.

  New quarters. That meant no Misha. Crap.

  The strange Masters stepped forward, both with a brand in hand. They stepped up to Chad and Ty first, one hand on their shoulder the other pressing the burning metal into flesh. Both boys held still as ordered but a pained whimper escaped Chad and and Ty screwed his eyes shut- both shaking slightly as the men moved on. Dean and Gen next.

  It was incredibly hard for Dean not to flinch away but he didn't and- like Ty- didn't make a sound as the brand seared a mark into his right pectoral. Looking down he saw a swollen red "S" with an outline of a flame around it.

  He couldn't focus on anything else as the three girls got their brands- not even Cindy. All there was was his heart drumming loudly in his ear and the burning throb of the brand.

  "Put your robes back on and follow me," Master Crowley ordered once everyone had a matching brand and that it what they did.

  The six followed the short British man down more corridors until they came to their "new quarters". There was a main room with a table and chairs with six rooms off of it, each with two beds with doors and front wall of that of a prison room like their cell. It was also well lit with several lights fixed into the walls as well as the ceiling not at all like the single light bulb hanging in the centre of their old cell.

  "As you can see," Crowley addressed them after a moment," there are six bedrooms. Three for you, three for the trainees. You will share that room with your partner. Partners are as follows: Ty Olsson and Chad Lindenburg, Genevieve Cortese and Rachel Miner with Jensen Ackles and Cindy Sampson. You will stay here for the day but tomorrow your new life shall begin. I will see you then."

  With that the man turned smartly and left, the door closing and locking behind him. This door was solid steel with one with a vision panel at head height. It was weird, like they were shut completely in their own little world.

  "Damn this hurts," Chad exclaimed then, pulling Dean out of his head as he turned to see his friend pull open his robes to look down at the brand. He had to agree with the older boy though because his chest was certainly hurting like a son of a bitch.


	22. Whole New Existance

  Things were almost scarily different- at least to Dean. The first night in that new place in particular had been hard because for the first time in years he was sleeping by himself. Sure Cindy was there but she was on the other side of the room. During training- right from the first night where he had curled up with Ty- he had been asleep with other children all around. Even before that, after his mother had died, he would curl up around Sammy. When his little brother was only six months old and Dean was four. Every single night.

  The next night though they had figured things out. They had piled four mattresses into Ty and Chad's room- as many as they could fit- after ditching the beds outside and slept piled up together. Master Crowley had been angry at that, his face had gone red as he reminded them that they were to sleep in the rooms with their partners. Third night Cindy just climbed into his bed.

  Other than that it was almost dull. There was no more training, they had learnt everything. They knew how to use a map, to drive and use the shadows. They knew language and maths and English. They knew how to kill and fight. Now they just had to keep in shape, they ran and practised fighting. Thing was, no one watched them. A Master would check up on them every other hour but for the most they were alone.

  That part made Dean uncomfortable. There was always someone there. Always. Now they were left to themselves like adults and it continued that way for a whole two months. They even ate better- the food actually having some flavour.

  After those two months though, they woke to the usual click of the door being unlocked. By now they were trusted to make their own way about, up to the surface or into their exercise hall- one that was different from training and a lot smaller. That day though, Master Crowley and another man entered. 

  Immediately, they all lined up to attention. The second man looked over them as if they were cattle, something that would have made Dean bristle three years before but that he was used to now. It took him a moment but then he recognised the man. He had been there when he had first arrived and been dragged out of that van. He was the one that had warned Dean to behave for Master Alastair.

  "Now Sicarius, you have all completed your training and completed it well from what I have been told. You have been given time to adjust so now it is time for you to full fill your purpose. My name is Lucifer, Master Lucifer to you, and I am what you could call the Big Boss around here. It means that I am a very busy man and I don't take kindly to failure. You are here to kill for me and spy for me. I own you in every sense. You breath because I allow it and the moment that I deem you unworthy of oxygen is the moment that you will die. You are mine you hear. I am sure you are all aware now of what can happen if you disobey courtesy of my dear Alastair. Now that you are Sicarius any punishment will be one hundred times worse. Do you understand me?" the blond man said with what would almost be humour.

  "Yes Master," the six chorused straight away. 

  "Good good. Now I will leave you in the very capable hands of Master Crowley here," the man smirked before turning and, with a little wave behind him, left.

  "Okay Sicarius," Crowley pulled attention back to him as the door closed once more, "Here I have a file. In this file is a target, where this target lives and any preferences on how you will kill them. Sometimes you will be given a target as a pair, sometimes as a solo mission. This file now is for Ty and Chad. You will read over this file and leave within the hour. I will show you the way back to the room where you shall be equipped, after that it is up to you to find your way there and back."

  With that, Crowley threw the file down on the table before leaving. As soon as the door shut again Chad turned and picked up the file and showed it to Ty so that both boys could read through it. They asked if anyone else wanted a look but everyone declined. Dean figured that he would have his own file soon enough and he didn't really fancy looking at a picture of a dead man.

  In the end they parted after breakfast. They ate it in a room off of the kitchen now. It was the kitchen where all of the food was prepared and cooked for all of the Masters and whoever else may live in the Brick Base. All other food was taken away by servants to other places but for the Sicarius, they took theirs' into the next room where the bangs and crashes from the kitchen were loud and the smell of cooking food was strong.

  After breakfast was done with, Master Crowley came and took the two eldest boys off to wherever it was they were going off to. Dean and the others simply made their way up to the surface. It was still a thrill to be able to pick their own route for a run, the race past the water's edge as many times as they wanted. As long as they never left the docks and were back in their room for it to be locked by eight. They all had tracking devices in their arms and watches on their wrists so that they could tell the time and so that the Master's would know if they ran. Not that Dean could even think of running. 

  Realistically he knew that really he should want to run away. These people had kidnapped him and tortured him. They had turned him into a murderer and stripped him down to a slave. But they had also given him a new family and a new purpose. As strange as it sounded, he felt as if he belonged. He loved the other children and he desperately missed Misha. He couldn't wait until two years time when the boy would be Sicarius too and they lived together once more. Even if they could never fall asleep in each other's arms again...


	23. First Mission

  Dean and Cindy got their first mission two weeks after Ty and Chad. The two boys had returned the day after they left, neither speaking about their job and the rest of them not asking. None of them wanted to hear about more killing.

  The file that Dean and Cindy were given held two pictures, one was of a pimp and drug dealer, the other was his brother. There was an address and a method- obvious murder. The two lived in the city so they shouldn't be gone too long. Dean couldn't lie about it; he was nervous. They were going to leave the dock for the first time in three years even if they weren't going out of the city.

  After breakfast Master Crowley appeared and took them off to that mystery prep room. The room contained racks of clothes in one half, an armoury in the other. The two children were instructed to strip and don some "civilian" clothes as Crowley put it. The clothes were scruffy and slightly too big but the British man said that it was to make them look like homeless kids. Homeless kids were less noticeable, people liked to ignore undesirable things. The perfect cover.

  The each took two knives, one for the waist bands of their worn jeans, the other for their boots. Dean tucked his amulet safely under the dirty, holy sweater as they left the room minus Master Crowley. They had a map which Cindy had folded in the pocket of her oversized jacket and the address memorised.

  It was the first time since he had arrived that he didn't want to step outside. He looked to Cindy as they stood in front of the door to the warehouse, the dust motes swirling around them in the dim light. His friend looked to him with her brown eyes and silky hair framing her face, she was very pretty and he knew it- had been noticing it a lot more recently. Just looking at her calmed him down.

  Nodding and smiling to her he pushed the door open. They had agreed to walk to the apartment that the brothers shared, had already plotted the route. That was why they passed all of the cars and made their way over to the fence that led out of the docks. Passing through the gate, Cindy grabbed his hand and smiled at him again. 

  They walked the whole way to the apartment, down busy streets and dingy back alleys, holding hands like that. It was definitely something that Dean was grateful for. As a kid he hadn't been nervous around people, moving around a lot with his dad and Sammy he had met lots of people. God he missed Sammy... he stopped thinking about that immediately and tried to focus on how strange it was to see actual people again. 

  For years there was only the other Sicarius, the Masters and the poor victims that were brought in for them to practice being killers. Now there was people all around, business people and teens on skateboards, real homeless people and drunkards. Holding Cindy's hand anchoring him just as much as his amulet had when they were training. 

  It was about two hours before they reached the apartment, it was higher up in the building so they climbed the fire escape. Looking in through the window they saw that no one was home so they hunkered down to wait after breaking the lock on the window and so making sure that they could get in easily. They had hoods pulled down low over their faces just in case there was cameras about, they had since they had first left the docks.

  Dean sat there curled with Cindy just under the window so that their heads wouldn't be seen from within. He listened to the sounds of the city, the cars and people. There were pigeons cooing from the roof above them and dogs barked in the distance. Hearing those sounds and smelling the sour smell of the alley around them was amazing. Freeing. 

  He didn't realise that he was smiling until Cindy poked the corner of his mouth and smirked up at him. The boy poked her back in the side and held her against him as she tried to wriggle away.

  "What? You can't tell me that you don't feel it too," Dean said, looking down at her with raised eyebrows.  

  "Course I do Jensen but you're smiling like a goon. I'm not dork," she laughed quietly, poking her again.

  "You know," he said, suddenly serious, "They can't hear us. You could... you know you could call me my old name."

  Cindy was silent for a long moment and Dean was suddenly scared that he had pushed too far. That was until she nodded. She didn't smile but she looked up at him, still pressed into his side and nodded.

  "Your name is Dean Winchester right?" she asked.

  "Yeah." 

  "I remember it because you stood up to Master Alastair all those years ago. It's the only old name I know," she said with a reminiscent smile, "I like Dean Winchester more than Jensen Ackles I think. I'd like to call you Dean."

  "I... wow I like that. Thanks um... I don't know your old name."

  "Lisa Braeden. That is the name I had before," she told him, looking down shyly at their feet.

  "I like that too Lisa," Dean smiled, pressing a kiss into her hair.

  They sat there for only a few moments longer, Dean mulling over the name. It sounded more right than Cindy. Then they heard the sound of the door opening in the apartment.  Quietly, they untangled their limbs and Dean peaked over the edge of the window to see the two men that were in their file. 

  He nodded down to Cindy- Lisa- and waited until they moved into the next room before he pulled the window up and slipped in. His friend followed a moment behind both of them landing silently on the laminated floor.

  Lisa took the lead then, creeping up to the doorway that the brothers had disappeared. They waited for only a second, each pulling out the knife from their belts before they launched themselves around the corner. 

  The two took the brothers by surprise. They didn't stand a chance as the two children launched. Lisa stuck her knife in the dealer's back, through the ribs and straight into his heart like they had been training. Dean lodged his deep into the brother's eye as he spun to see the what was happening. 

  It was over stupidly quick, or so Dean thought. All of the fights his dad had had with monsters had been long and drawn out but then again they weren't human like the brothers. They had been monsters. In a way these two men had been monsters. They had been bad people and Dean and Lisa had removed them from the world.

  They were lying there now, blood pooling around them. Obvious murders. Just like in the file. Lisa was stuck to the spot but Dean knew they had to go so he pulled both knives free from the bodies and tugged on his friend's arm.

  "Come on Lisa we have to go," he whispered in her ear.

  They left back through the window, Dean pulling it shut behind him. He hid the blades in his baggy clothes and took Lisa's hand again as they made their way away from the apartment and the bodies as slowly and normally as possible to avoid suspicion. 

   They had planned their route back too, a winding and indirect one that sidetracked and meandered. It made it harder for them to be tracked- if they were being tracked- just as they had been taught. They were passing an old building with boarded up windows along this route when Lisa stopped him, pulling back on his arm.

  "Let's just stop here for the night Dean. Just... just one night away," Lisa almost begged, her voice small and broken. He knew why, understood. Killing those men like that had been different from killing those blindfolded, bound prisoners. That was like killing... cattle say. This, what they had just done... that had really felt like actual murder.

  "Sure Lisa. That sounds good," he replied, loving saying her old name and hearing his from her mouth. If he could have a few more hours of that he would snatch at it. Having a night in the city away from the Brick Base and the Masters felt freeing even more than sitting and listening to the city. They would be away.


	24. First Kiss

  Dean and Lisa woke curled up in each other the next morning. It had been a cold night and they had had no blankets so they had pressed closer into each other more than usual until it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. It had taken them a while to get to sleep with the noise of the city a drastic contrast to the silence of the Brick Base. They had lain there, Lisa burying her head into Dean's chest as they wrapped their arms around each other.

  Lisa had taken the job hard, not as hard as she would have done as her old self. Dean couldn't help but be proud of her so as she fell asleep he kissed her softly on the top of the head and ran his fingers gently through her hair.

  The next morning they woke as the sun was rising, staining the sky with reds and golds. Lisa woke first but when she saw the sky she shook Dean awake. They watched the sun rise sitting in the window of the building- their first one in three years. Then they turned to face each other and Lisa leaned in so Dean leaned the rest of the way and kissed her.

  They walked back to the docks straight after knowing that if they stayed away much longer they would be in trouble. Dean couldn't help but smile the whole way and he knew that Lisa was smiling to. That was his first kiss. Probably her's to. He couldn't have been happier that it was with Lisa because he just knew that he loved her.

  Walking back down into the Brick Base took the smiles right off of their faces. All of the freedom that Dean had felt over the last day and night was gone. At the same however a sense of safety washed over him and then confusion because why did he feel safe in a place like this with all of the things that had happened here.

  The pair went back to that room to get changed back into their robes before heading to the training room. It was there that Master Crowley met them- apparently there was some kind of sensor for when they entered.

  "Well Sicarius? Report," he said just as Dean pulled the robe closed over his 

  "Both dead. Obvious murder, Master," Dean addressed him.

  "Good," Crowley said. He pulled out the file- their file- and a stamp which he used to mark the front cover with the same symbol that was branded into their chest.

  After that the man dismissed them and they made their way down to the training hall. Dean wondered at that moment then when, if, they would next see Master Frank. The man had always treated them better than any other Master, almost human or like children more than machines and possessions. Another man that he wondered about was Master Alastair. He hoped that he would never see him ever again as he was still the star of many of his nightmares.

  As they entered the training hall he was pulled back out of his head by the sight of the other Sicarius. His best friends, his brothers and sisters. They stopped what they were doing and rushed over to the two of them, smiling and clapping and hugging them just like they had done when Ty and Chad had returned.

  The rest of the day, much like the day the two boys came back, they didn't do much that was productive. They messed around and played. The six of them were wrestling and running about, rolling on the floors and laughing. It was just as good as the first time and it was just as strange. They were kids and they were acting like it.

***

  That night when Lisa and Dean curled up on Lisa's bed they shared another kiss before smiling at each other. Dean caressed her cheek as he buried further into the pillow. He couldn't help but feel slightly hollow though because although he had Lisa there with him he still desperately missed Misha. He remembered the dark, scruffy hair and blue eyes so well and missed them so much.

  He missed Misha's shy smile and how he would curl into Dean's side at night like he fit perfectly. His hands were bigger than Lisa's, his arms stronger. Lisa was beautiful but so was Misha. The girl in his arms was asleep by that point and looking down at her he realised that thinking about Misha like he did about he was not right.

  It was like he was attracted to the other boy. His dad would have killed him for that. John Winchester was always banging on about how it was only right to sleep with girls, especially after Sammy had asked at the age of five if he could take another boy from his class on a date. Dean had thought that John was going to kill someone that day.

  He realised then that it was probably a very good job that he wasn't going to see Misha again for another two years. By that point he will be over his little crush and would be completely infatuated with the girl in his arms. He had known Lisa for longer, he knew his actual name. Who knew what Misha was called before he was brought here. 

  It was a long while before Dean managed to get to sleep and when he did it was restless and broken. He kept imagining killing the brothers in that apartment but when they turned them over they were Misha. The second time he woke from killing his friend he just stayed awake lying there. The boy held Lisa closer to him and focused on where her hand was curled into his night shirt and the rise and fall of her chest. Burying his nose in her hair her inhaled and smiled. He didn't need Misha. Sure he would be happy, more than happy, when he next saw his friend but he had his partner and she was all he needed.


	25. Spies

  Their next mission wasn't an assassination. It was an information gathering mission. At least that was what Master Crowley said. Dean knew it was fancy language for spying which was pretty cool really. It meant that they would be away from the Brick Base a lot longer than just their over night stint into the city.

  Setting out from the docks this time was no less exciting. They had had to memorise several photographs of different men because they couldn't take those photos with them just in case. They were simply finding out who this big boss was dealing with- it was one of three people and it was their job to find out who.

  They didn't make it to the house of the big boss before the first night. It was warm out so they decided to just climb up onto the roof tops to spend the night there. Once they were up there they curled up into a corner and watched the sun set and the stars come out. 

  The next morning Dean woke before his friend- or was she his girlfriend?- but he couldn't bring himself to wake her up just that minute. Instead, he spent the next moment watching her sleep. It was the same every time she was asleep, she looked like a normal, abet beautiful, thirteen year old girl. Her face held none of the worry that it did when she was awake. She wasn't the Sicarius that she was when she was awake but only a child.

  Still, as pretty and peaceful as she looked they had a mission, a place to be. Leaning over he kissed her forehead and then her lips, soft and gentle but enough that she stired, eyes opening and a smile forming. She leaned up and wound her fingers into his hair to pull him closer to kiss him again.

  It quickly got more passionate and soon they were pulling off each other's clothes.

  When they were done they lay their panting for a moment, only a brief one, before they were once more pulling on their raggedy homeless kid clothes and smiling goofily at one another.

  "We have to do that again," Lisa laughed.

  "Hell yeah. We're going to be away from the Base a lot for a while now aren't we," Dean couldn't help but smirk back.

  "You're right. God we're just a pair of horny teens now!" Lisa laughed making Dean laugh to.

***

  They were watching the big boss day and night taking shifts and following at a distance where ever he moved. Every night they would go at it because Lisa was right; they were essentially just a pair of horny teens.

  It was all good and they were probably having a little bit too much fun considering they were meant to be professionals on a mission.

  Then they almost seriously messed up. They were messing around and they almost let the big boss pass them without them noticing. It was then that Dean realised that what they were doing was too wrong. He remembered what he had seen back at the Brick Base not two weeks ago about a month after they got back from their first mission.

  It was the first time that he had seen Master Frank since they had been branded and became full Sicarius. The man was talking with Master Crowley in a hushed voice and Dean knew that really he shouldn't be listening only it was Master Frank and he was curious. They had been talking about them as well.

  Thing was, Master Frank was doubting them. He didn't think that mere children could do the things that the Masters of the Sicarius wanted them to do. Now they had almost proved their old teacher right and that was not good. Dean desperately wanted to make Frank proud.

  That was why Dean made sure they were focused for the rest of their mission. Lisa was a bit put out at first but soon enough she settled into the same mood.

  In the end they followed the boss to a meeting and found out which one of the men it was that the guy was working for. As soon as they did Dean felt better for their near slip up and when they reported back to Master Crowley he kissed Dean as soon as they were alone.

  "Sorry we just weren't focused enough you know. The mission is of top importance," Dean apologised.

  "No it's okay I understand," Lisa smiled back, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before letting it go again as they switched back into Sicarius mode.

***

  The first night that they were back they stayed up late messing around with the others. Gen had learnt how to do a back flip and they were all trying it to. They had pushed the table in the main room to the side and pulled all of the mattresses into the centre where they were practising. In all it was quite funny because none of them could get it other than Gen. Not even Rachel.

  Altogether they were just a bunch of teens flopping about and laughing. In fact when they put their rooms back together and retired for the night they were still laughing.

  Lisa and Dean curled into each other as they always did but this time Dean took an absurd amount of comfort in the mattress and the bed, the environment and the very place they were. A twisted sense of home.

  "Dean?" Lisa whispered to him in the dark.

  "Mmm," he hummed into her hair as he held her.

  "I love you," she said it quietly and sincerely.

  "I love you too Lisa," he whispered back after only a beat. He meant it to. He loved her and she loved him, it was a wonderful feeling.

  The teen fell asleep quite quickly all too aware of the smile that stretched his lips as he held the girl even closer. It was strange to think that if he hadn't been kidnapped and beaten and had his childhood taken away, all of the bad things that had happened since Master Alastair had turned up at that motel, had led to this, something so good. 

  Still, he wasn't to sure that it was worth it. 


	26. Assassination

  They hadn't had another mission after that spy one and now four months had passed. It was quite nice really no to have to go out to kill people or stalk them. Instead they had four months of practice and running and messing around. In that time Gen and Rachel had had a mission which, judging by the time they were away,  was an assassination. Chad and Ty had had a spy mission which they had admitted of their own volition- the two boys had enjoyed that.

  Sure it was exciting when they got to leave the Brick Base and venture into the world but Dean couldn't help but hate the killing. It was different to actual monsters, the inhuman kind. Sure the two men that they had killed on their first outing had been foul men but still... men. 

  Finally though they got their next mission. More killing, any way they wanted. Again they dressed as scruffy homeless kids and set out. Walking down the streets this time though they laughed and ran, tackling each other and getting annoyed huffs and looks from the good old city folk. 

  It was on the next day when they caught up with their targets. There was two men, one tall white man and another slightly shorter black man. They were from some gang or another, quite high up if their file was to be believed and there was no reason why they would lie. 

  The two children were perched up above them on a fire escape as they made their way down the alley just waiting until they were directly below them. As soon as they were, the two of them jumped. Lisa landed right on the mark driving her knife into the back of the white man's neck and through his spine as she landed on his shoulders. The man crumpled, dead, but Dean was not so lucky.

  Dean had jumped a moment after Lisa and so his target had a moment to prepare for his attack. The guy rolled his shoulders and Dean was sent sprawling against the alley wall. He was up a moment later and his knife was in the man's heart.

  He was too late though...

  The guy had pulled a gun from his jacket and shot it the moment before Dean killed him. The bullet hadn't hit Dean and for a moment he thought that everything was fine. Then he heard Lisa choke. 

  Spinning around he saw the blood blossoming over her heart through the dirty rags she wore.

  "Lisa!" he exclaimed desperately as he rushed to her side.

  "Dean it hurts," she said as she collapsed into him, she was crying, the tears leaving streaks down her dirty face.

  Dean sunk to the floor with her in his arms and pressed his hand over the wound even though he knew it was no good. Ugly sobs wracked his body because he knew that she was going to die. Through his tears he leaned down and pressed a wet kiss to her mouth which she immediately responded to like it was a lifeline, wrapping a weak hand around his neck to pull him closer.

  "I love you," she sobbed.

  "God I love you too. I'm so so sorry Lisa I'm so very sorry," he whispered brokenly in return.

  "Hey I think I can forgive you," she laughed.

  She didn't say anything after that, neither did Dean. There was a look of pain on her face until there wasn't. The hand fell limply from around his neck and her eyes had that dull look that all of their targets had after they had killed them.

  "Lisa," he sobbed, his heart breaking as he held his dead friend.

  There was police sirens coming closer and closer, of course there was, there was a gun shot. It meant though that Dean had to get out of there. It meant that he had to get out of there without her. Without Lisa.

  Slowly he lowered the body to the floor off of his lap before placing one last kiss on her forehead and turning to run.

  He half ran, half stumbled down the back alleys making sure to keep off the streets. He was crying still, sobbing so hard that it was hard to breath and he was covered in blood. God it was her blood. Her blood was soaked into his clothes. Not that much, there wasn't that much, it wouldn't show through the dirt but he kept to the back alleys anyway.

  What were the Masters going to say? What were the other Sicarius going to say? Would they kill him too because this was all his fault.

  Eventually he found a place to sleep but he didn't sleep. He stayed awake to see the sun set and then rise again. Really he knew that he could have made it back to the Brick Base if he wasn't sleeping but he was stalling. He was scared of what the Masters would do because they would punish him severely for this. He was also scared off going back to his room. He was scared to sleep in that bed at night alone without her in his arms, without her lying in the bed opposite.

  When the sun did rise to see the new day he knew that he couldn't wait any longer. At least they had finished the job. That at least would save him some pain. Not that it mattered. Maybe it would be better to be in more pain. If they punished him more maybe he would be able to focus on that and maybe forget her even for a moment. 

  That thought made him get up, made him trudge back down the streets that he had messed about on with Lisa just two days before. He reached the gates to the docks and didn't hesitate before he walked through. He went through the dark, dusty warehouse to the door. He opened the door and then he was walking down the steps back into the Brick Base. 


	27. "F" for Failure

  Dean walked down the corridor to the changing room almost like he was in a trance. It was like he was an onlooker. Strange and empty, that's how he felt as he pushed the door to the room open. Master Crowley was already there inside, clip board in hand making some official looking notes. The man looked up when he heard Dean open the door but the look he gave was one of confusion, undoubtedly because he was alone.

  "The mission is complete Master," he told the man as he felt the fear rising in his chest forming a painful ball. It was almost laughable, Dean was only just thirteen and he was already taller than the Britt. Much more muscled and accomplished at fighting also. Then again it was the whole system he was afraid of not just one man.

  "And where is Miss Sampson then Jensen?" Crowley practically hissed.

  Dean gulped down the lump in his throat before he could answer," she was killed by one of the targets Master."

  "And the body. Where is that?"

  "In the alley where the victims are. The police were on their way I had to get out of there else risk being caught myself Master," Dean told him with a surprisingly level voice considering how much each word hurt.

  "At least you had that much sense boy. Return to you quarters now," Master Crowley snapped and boy was he mad.

  "Would you like me to change into my robes first Master or go there immediately?" Dean asked because he was unsure.

  "Change," the Master snapped before striding past him, his footsteps loud as they retreated down the hall.

  Dean changed back into his robes with fumbling, shaking fingers. Master Crowley had been mad, he had never seen him like that and it was going to be bad. His only conclusion was that he was going to see Master Alastair for the first time in over a year. That was how long he had been Sicarius... that time had flown.

  As soon as he reached their rooms he went to his bed and sat in the corner bringing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. The boy tried not to look at the other bed and he tried not to let the silence get to him as he was alone, his friends no doubt off training. He wasn't there long however before he heard the main door open and Master Alastair was stood in the doorway to his room.

  The grey eyes glittered with sick glee and a smile twisted his thin lips. Dean knew he was in for pain and he had to clench his hands behind his back as he stood to hide the fact that they were shaking.

  "Follow me Jensen," the Master breathed, the nasally voice sending a shiver down his spine.

  Without a word Dean followed him until they arrived not at the dark room where he had previously been punished but rather at the room where they had all received their Sicarius brand. He passed the Master as he held the door open for him and felt his hot breath on the back of his neck.

  Dean stood in the centre of the room in the same way as the previous time he had visited only this time alone. He stared straight ahead and didn't dare to took at the thin man that was circling him like a predator.

  "Remove the top half off your robe," he ordered with obvious glee and Dean had no choice but to obey.

  He watched from the corner of his eye as Master Alastair heated up a brand and tried not to shudder. As the man came to him with the glowing metal Dean made a point not to look at the man but it didn't matter, he was shaking obviously now and Master Alastair was basking in his fear.

  Dean bit his tongue until it bled as the metal seared into his flesh in the centre of his chest, right over his heart. The boy didn't dare to look to see what shape the brand would take but he didn't have to wait too long to find out. Master Alastair removed the brand and walked back to put it away as full body shudders racked Dean's young form.

  He did manage to stay almost impossibly still though as the Master moved towards him once more and then behind him. He felt the cold fingers of one hand clamp down on his shoulder while the other ran through his hair making him bite back a fearful whimper.

  "F for failure Jensen," the man hissed wetly against his ear, his lips brushing against the lobe of it. Somehow Dean managed not to flinch away although every fibre in his body was telling him to do just that.

  After a very long moment Master Alastair let him go and backed away before moving back in front of him and taking in Dean's new brand. Another twisted, evil smile graced his face and Dean had to bite his lip to keep himself in control. F for failure. He had failed Lisa, he had let her die. Now he would bare that mark physically as well as mentally. 

  "Put your robe back on boy," the Master grinned, he watched as Dean did as he was told before ushering him out of the room and locking the door behind him.

***

  After the branding Dean had gone to his bed and curled up, facing the wall. The pain in his chest had kept him from sleeping and he knew that it would for days but he couldn't stomach facing his friends just yet so he lay there.

  Of course, inevitably, they returned after eating a dinner that Dean had not attended. He thought for a moment that he could just stay curled up but then he decided that really he had to tell them. They were her friends too. In that moment when he stood and showed himself to them he wished so hard that Misha was one of them so that he could hug Dean and comfort him. But he wasn't, he wasn't there and he wouldn't be for another year to come.

  "Hey Jensen," Ty greeted.

  "Where's Cindy?" Gen asked.

  "Is she okay?" Rachel asked after a moment when Dean didn't answer obviously seeing the pain on his face.

  "She's dead guys. She... she died," his told them in a broken voice.

  There was a moment of silence before they all came forward to hug him, one at a time beginning with Ty until all five were piled together and there wasn't a dry eye. Despite that companionship and knowing that the others were there for him that night was the loneliest of Dean's life.


	28. Going Through the Motions

  Just because he didn't have a partner didn't mean that he would stop being Sicarius. As the months passed things continued as they ever did, training and running. The five of them messed about and play fought, laughed and smiled still. It was all they could do. Even so, Dean had a hollow feeling in his chest and every night when he stripped off his robes the brand showed him all over again what he was. A failure.

  At first the brand had been a constant pain, just as the others had, a sharp and continuous throbbing. He didn't have to look to know it was there and feel its presence like a weight. Even after it healed it seemed to be a dull ache that always reminded him that it was there.

  Two months after Lisa's death Dean was given his first solo mission. A drug dealer that he had to kill with a heroin overdose. He left the Brick Base and made his way there, walking along in silence and alone. There was no messing around, no company, no smiling or laughing. Instead he wove in and out of the regular folk and was ignored, invisible, just like he should.

  He reached the man and easily overpowered him, he was a weak and disgusting junkie. He watched the man writhing and foaming at the mouth, he had to wait until he was dead. Crouching in the corner of the dirty apartment, Dean looked blankly at the wall above the man. The chocking noises the man was making were hard to ignore but even if he couldn't block him out completely he still couldn't bring himself to look.

  As soon as there was silence Dean went over and checked the man's pulse. He was dead. His job was done. The boy decided that even though it was night out he wasn't going to stop. He would make it back to the Brick Base before he slept, he just couldn't bare the thought of squatting in some building alone without his friend.

  He made it back and Master Crowley was pleased, he made it back to the Sicarius rooms where the others were sleeping. Dean slept well that night.

  The next mission he was given was several months further down the line. It was by far the hardest task he had been given. Not physically but emotionally. His resolve never wavered even if some part of himself was screaming out for him to stop. All of his other victims had been criminals and scum, killing them could easily be argued to have made the world a better place. Not this time though. This time there was no way he could convince himself that this was okay. He was a monster this time.

  He had broken into the house while they were sleeping and set up the three nooses like he had to. Why the contractor wanted them hanged together in the same room was beyond him. It would clearly be murder but then again who was he to question? As soon as he finished he went to the master bedroom and pulled out the chloroform, covering first the mouth of the man and then the woman. He dragged them out to the nooses and hung them up not being able to hang them conscious.

  Then there was the third person. The girl who was probably a year older than him at most. She was so pretty and looked so sweet asleep, blond hair spread out across the pillow and breathing delicate. She got the same treatment as her parents, dead in her living room with no clue. 

  Leaving that house he felt he was able to breathe a little better but not much. He found that he was crying and then he felt disgusted. He hadn't cried since Lisa and before that since his first whipping so many years before. Dean wiped the tears away furiously as he stumbled down the dark streets. 

  That night he did squat in a run down and abandoned apartment building likely doomed to demolition in the near future. It was cold and lonely and the images of the girl hanging dead next to her parents didn't allow him to sleep. Instead, he watched the sky all night, the moon sat lonely in the starless sky before colour began to bleed in and the sun rose. It was barely five in the morning before he stretched his stiff legs and made his way back to the Base.

  After that he really was just going through the motions living his days like he was watching himself from outside his body. He smiled and laughed with his friends but it was empty and he didn't feel the happiness. Throwing himself into training was a good way to distract himself. All of them were lean and muscled like not many children their age were but still, Dean set himself out to get better. There was no way that he would ever fail again and to do that he would train harder than ever.

  All of that changed when the five were all called into that their rooms one day while training. They entered to see Master Frank there, they lined up and the Master looked them over approvingly.

  "You have done well. I know that Cindy died but if I'm to be perfectly honest I expected more than that to be dead by now. Now being two years. The next lot of Sicarius are coming in today," Master Frank said to them.

  As if on cue the door opened and in came Master Crowley followed by the other group of children that they had lived with for a year once. Dick, Sebastian, Alona, Felicia and Misha. But no Osric. Dean watched the door for a moment but Osric didn't appear and Master Crowley closed the door once more as the five new children lined up. They looked older and tougher, fitter. Dean only really looked at Misha though, the blue eyes and messy black hair the same as they were two years ago only the eyes looked somewhat more haunted.

  "You shall explain the situation to these new Sicarius. As one of them perished in training Jensen you shall be partnered with Misha," Master Crowley stated and Dean felt as if his heart had skipped a beat.


	29. New Partner

  As soon as the Masters left the room the two groups of children converged. Misha came right into Dean's arms and it couldn't have felt better. He pressed his nose into Misha's dark hair and was surrounded by the smell and feel of the other boy. Being pressed close to him meant that Dean was able to catalogue the changes in the boy's body in the last two years. He could feel the new muscles in the other's arms as they wrapped around his waist and saw how he was careful not to press his chest against Dean, a fact that was certainly due to the brand that he had just received. He was a lot shorter than Dean now too, he had always been shorter than the green eyed boy but now that size gap had increased. Still the boy was tall, taller than anyone else bar Dean. 

  "I missed you so much Jensen," Misha murmured into the side of Dean's neck.

  "God I missed you too. But we're partners now that's great!" 

  They greeted the rest of the group, hugs and smiles all around. Richard, Sebastian, Alona and Felicia. All of them bar Osric. He was the one that perished. In the end it was Chad that asked how it had happened. The answer they got was that the boy had taken the poison that he was meant to be giving to one of the prisoners. He had died in pain but quickly not being able to stomach the thought of killing a person.

  After that they had tried to keep the conversation lighthearted as they all sat around the table in the common room. They had talked about the freedom of their runs and the freedom of going out into the city. Chad told them that he and Ty had actually gotten one mission where they had gotten to go outside of the city and to a small rural town.

  All the while Dean couldn't help but think about Lisa. The girl he had loved and who everyone else knew as Cindy. When he had been given Misha as he need partner not a few hours ago he had been so pleased. Then he had felt bad because he wouldn't have the boy as his partner if Lisa hadn't have died first. 

  So that was two Sicarius already, one not even surviving training. That sudden thought made Dean realise that he would be lucky to make it to eighteen at this rate. He had survived five years by now though... he must be fourteen. Fourteen was a weird thought, he hadn't celebrated his birthday in five years and so his mind kept catching on the age of nine even though he knew he wasn't.

  "You okay Jensen?" Misha asked quietly, blue eyes fixed on him.

  "Yeah," Dean smiled back, not looking away from that face for a long moment.

***

  That night Misha and Dean went into their room, Misha lying in the bed that was once Lisa's... not that she really ever used it. They lay there for a long moment just watching each other in the near darkness, the only light coming from beyond the door in the common room. The light defined the lines of Misha's face and through other parts into shadows making him look rather mysterious. 

  "How did Cindy die Jensen?" Misha asked quietly after about half hour of silence.

  "She was shot... I missed my... I missed my target Misha," Dean told the other, his voice shaky as he tried to hold back tears.

  Misha didn't say anything just slipped silently from his bed before crossing the room and slipping under the covers beside Dean. The other boy wrapped his arms around him and Dean buried his head into Misha's chest. He was painfully aware that the tears now flowing were soaking through the dark haired boy's nightshirt. 

  "It wasn't your fault Jensen," Misha said quietly and Dean so wanted to tell the other his real name in that moment.

  "Misha you weren't there. She killed her target but I missed mine and he turned around and shot her," Dean sobbed into the other's chest instead.

  "Jensen how long ago was this?"

  "About a year," was Dean's muffled reply.

  "Then you were a thirteen year old kid. What they have us doing is monstrous. It is the Master's fault that she's dead not yours. The do terrible things like kidnapping us and turning us into killers. Beating, branding, whipping. They are the ones that sent you on that mission. They are the reason that Cindy is dead," Misha said to him.

  Dean pulled away then, only far enough to look at Misha but still be in his arms. He was right wasn't he? Though he hadn't heard anyone talk out against the Masters before and hearing Misha do it made it sound so right. Although Dean knew that he was at least partly responsible. Not that he would say that now, let Misha think he had persuaded him. Now that Misha had spoken against the Masters though...

  "Lisa," Dean said, working up the courage quickly. If he had spoken against the Masters then surely he wouldn't mind. Dean just really wanted the other to know, him and Lisa both... maybe he would even get Misha's real name in return.

  "I'm sorry?" Misha responded confused.

  "Cindy's name was really Lisa," Dean explained then.

  "She told you? Did you tell her your name?" Misha asked, sitting up slightly with a look of anticipation.

  "Well all of out original group kind of know. In the beginning I refused to be Jensen Ackles you see, told Master Alastair my name in front of them all," Dean confessed, Misha flinching as he mentioned what he had done in the presence of the most feared Master.

  "What did he do to you for that?" Misha questioned almost scared.

  "That was why he whipped me," Dean told him.

  "Oh... well um Jensen... could you maybe tell me your name?"

  "Dean Winchester," Dean replied without hesitation.

  "Dean..." Misha tried out the name before smiling down at him.

  "Yeah so what about you," Dean smiled back and God did he want to kiss the other right then. But that wasn't something he would do just then.

  "Castiel Novak."


	30. Castiel

  The next morning waking up in Misha- Castiel's- arms was something that he had dreamt of ever since he had last seen the boys. He woke first and was able to lie there and watch the dark haired boy who was curled into Dean's chest. It felt so special knowing the name that his friend was christened with. It felt even more special than  even knowing Lisa's name- a thought that then increased his guilt because he had loved his girlfriend but he was definitely attracted to the boy in his arms. Had been for years...

  "You okay? I can practically hear your brain ticking over," Misha murmured into Dean's chest. It was just like old times, sleepy grumblings and sharing body warmth. It was an amazing feeling. Dean curled tighter around the other boy before he realised that his nethers  had taken an interest and quickly moved back with the hopes that Castiel hadn't noticed.

  "Hey how about when we're in private I call you Cas. Castiel is such a mouthful. That's what I was thinking," Dean said instead.

  "Mmm sure. But you weren't jut thinking that where you?" Cas said without opening his eyes. Instead he pressed forward into Dean's crouch making the green eyed boy jump.

  The shorter boy opened his eyes then as he was jostled and smirked at Dean. The Winchester stared down at the other startled but couldn't help but be entranced. He was so beautiful. As his gaze drifted to Cas' lips the other leaned in. It was hesitant but perfect and warm... better than Lisa.

  Dean pulled back and buried his head in Cas' neck swallowing down the guilt. He really wanted this with the boy and Lisa was gone. She wouldn't mind... he was pretty certain.

  _Dirty fag._

  It was his dad's voice. Sudden and unexpected. He hadn't thought of his dad in years, even though his little Sammy was often on his mind his dad never was. Again he pressed it down. His father wasn't his family anymore... Sam wasn't really either. They were his old family. Now he had Cas and Chad and Ty, all the other Sicarius.

  Pulling back he kissed Cas again, curling back into him and stroking a gentle hand through his dark hair.

***

  The years passed and Dean and Cas soon became the best team within the Sicarius. They got closer by the day and it wasn't long before Dean couldn't deny that he was head over heals in love with his partner. Not that anyone else knew. Not even the other Sicarius. When they were with the other Sicarius they were just friends. The eight others were like brothers and sisters to them and they would often spend hours play fighting. They would fight in a giant group each for their own. It often ended with tickling. 

  When they went to bed they would curl into each other and missions... they were the best. They were the times that they could be themselves. When they were Castiel and Dean not Misha and Jensen. Because they were the best they got more missions. After about six months, where Cas was allowed time to adjust to his new role, they started getting missions further and further from the city. Those meant that they would be gone for longer, they were better. The two also got more missions than anyone else.

  Cas had been uncomfortable at first with the killing even though he had done it in training. Dean supposed it was doing it out in the real world away from the Brick Base. All he knew was that after Cas had stabbed the man that was his target he had been shaken. Dean had seen it, there had been a sad glint in his beautiful blue eyes and he was too quiet as they made their way back to their temporary base.

  As soon as they had been back alone Dean had cupped his face in his hands and kissed him gently. They had then done what Cas refereed to as "making love". It was a term that had made initially made Dean uncomfortable but he supposed that that was what it was. It was gentle and slow and Dean had tried to let Cas know how special he was and how much he loved him.

  Sex with Cas was very different to with Lisa, one big reason being the fact that Cas was a boy but not the only reason. Cas always liked to be as close to Dean as possible, would kiss him more and look into his eyes as one slid into the other. He hadn't really decided whether or not he liked being a top or bottom more although he did find it incredibly satisfying to have his friend inside him.

***

  "You know it's been two years since we first kissed," Cas murmured into Dean's neck, both pliant in a post-coital haze.

 They were back at the Brick Base so they were always quiet when they got each other off, in whatever way that may be, and it was always less satisfying. The cuddling afterwards never was anything but perfect though.

  "You know you're a complete nerd for knowing that," Dean responded, "how the hell do you even know what day it is?"

  "It's important to me to keep track of time. Helps keep me sane," Cas responded after jabbing Dean in the ribs for the "nerd" comment.

  "I thought keeping you sane was my job," Dean whispered good-humouredly into Cas' temple.

  "Yeah. You do a pretty good job of it too. I love you Dean," Cas said, leaning back slightly to smile up at the taller boy, the glint in those blue eyes showing the truth of his words.

  "Love you too Cas," Dean said before pressing a quick, chaste kiss to the other's lips.

  There was a long while where they just lay there, curled up together in Dean's bed. Cas' head rested on Dean's chest as it usually did, his breath ghosting across the bare skin. It was peaceful and as perfect as they could possibly hope for in a place such as Brick Base.

  "You know, we're both sixteen now. That means that I've been here for five years and you... God you've been here for seven," Cas muttered eventually.

  "Yeah. Do you... do you ever miss it? Your old life I mean," Dean asked after a rather pregnant pause.

  "No. Well yes. I mean my brothers are here, my mother died when I was young and I don't remember her and my dad was never there. My brothers, Ga- Dick and Seb were the ones that raised me. I mean of course I miss the freedom and I hate the killing but I have you and you are my world now," Cas replied after thinking for a moment.

  "Cas you romantic," Dean grinned into the dark hair. He wondered at the slip; Cas almost telling him his brother's real name. He wouldn't ask though. It was enough danger just them knowing each others' names.

  "How about you Dean, do you miss it? Did you have family?" Cas asked quietly.

  "Yeah... I had family. My mum died when I was four but I had my father, I mean he wasn't there much. There was Sammy though. He was my... is my, was- God I don't know. Little brother. Sammy  _is_  my little brother. Four years younger than me, I was the one to raise him after my mum died... he was in the motel room when Master Alistair kidnapped me. He was only five and my father was away, I always wonder whether he got back in time to... to save him. He was the one that gave me this amulet, he brought it with our Uncle Bobby," Dean told him, tugging at the amulet that hung around his neck at all times even during sex.

  Cas looked up at him from his place on his chest, "I'm sure your brother's fine Dean. If he's anything like you he'll be a bit like a cockroach; near impossible to kill."

  "Nice to know you think of my as a cockroach," Dean laughed.

  "Oh shut up," was the response he got before Cas raised himself up on his elbows, hands either side of Dean's face, and shut him up himself by shoving his tongue in the green eyed boy's mouth.


	31. Search

  At the age of twelve Sam supposed it was about time that he should get his first girlfriend. Besides it looked like he'd be staying here a while, at least that was what his dad had said. They were renting this tiny little house for a year with John going off hunting while Sam _finally_  got a steady year in school. Plus Jess was amazing. Sam was probably a typical love sick puppy type boy right now but he couldn't help it.

  Really it was a surprise, Sam was always one of the top in his class if not  _the_  top despite all the moving about they did. Didn't mean that he was anywhere near one of the most popular however. No instead it just meant that he was shoved about and called a nerd. Not that he minded, moving around so much meant that there wasn't much use for friends. This year however he had met Jess and they had known each other for four months and had been dating three of those.

   He loved kissing his girlfriend and cuddling with her on the sofa. They were usually over at his place as it was usually just them, no dad. She had asked once where his dad was, Sam just replied that he worked out of town and always back late. No way could he actually tell her that he was away for weeks at a time killing monsters.

  There was one night however that a different topic came up.

  The two of them were curled up on Sam's sofa, Jess leaning into Sam and was beautifully warm. He was running his fingers through her blond hair just as he knew she liked- he himself found it more than slightly pleasant when she ran her hands through his near shoulder length hair. The movie they had been watching had ended nearly fifteen minutes ago but the two were jut too sleepy and content to move. Jess didn't have to go home for another hour anyway.

  "Hey Sam. My mum asked if you could come over for dinner tomorrow. My sister will be there as well so you'll get to meet her," Jess said sleepily.

  "That'll be nice. So how long's she going to be back from college?" he asked in reply.

  "Just the week. I'm so excited. It's so cool having an older sibling," Jess sighed.

  "Yeah it is," Sam replied, thinking about Dean. It wasn't unusual but he thought about his brother less and less as the years passed.

  "You don't have an older sibling Sam. Wait do you?" Jess said, suddenly sitting up to turn around and face him.

  "Yeah... older brother," Sam said after a moment, looking at her cautiously.

  "Oh where is he?" she asked with a confused smile, obviously taking in Sam's odd expression.

  "He um... when I was five and he was nine... he um was kidnapped," Sam told her slowly.

  "Kidnapped. What and you never found him?" she she asked softly, big brown eyes wide with horror and sympathy.

  "No," Sam said sadly, he gladly excepted the hug that she wrapped him in.

  The next evening with Moores was great. Mrs Moore was always the best of cooks and Jess' sister Anne was lovely and smart and funny. She was like an older version of Jess but not as good- although he may have been biased. The meal was calm and comfortable and just like a family meal should be. It made Sam wish that he really was a part of the family. Wish that maybe he could stay for more than a year.

  The evening after that was arguably even better. Well not in comfort, it was highly stressful, but it made Sam fall slightly more in love. Not that he would say that out loud for fear of scaring her off.

  Jess turned up at his house, he hadn't been expecting it, and suggested that they started going through all the lost children cases they could. She knew that he was a good hacker and could hack into police dater bases. 

  Sam dug out an old picture of Dean for her. It was taken a month before he had disappeared. It was one with both of them in it, Uncle Bobby had taken it before they moved off. Dean's amulet was hung around his neck, he had just been given it and he was so pleased. It made Sam's heart ache to look at those green eyes. Dean at the age of nine and Sam five.

  "So he'll be sixteen now," Jess murmured, half to herself as she looked over the picture.

  Despite hours of work they came up with nothing. Not anything that could remotely link to Dean in anyway.

  "The guy was scary. He had this air around him Jess. Tall and thin. Dead eyes. Grey eyes, hair, skin even. His voice was nasally and his smile was... God shark-like," Sam said as he started at yet another picture of another little missing boy from seven years ago that was not his brother.

  "A typical predictor. I just hope that your brother's alive. Maybe he escaped. You never know," Jess encouraged.

  "Yeah I hope so," Sam replied quietly, ducking his head to bury himself back in research.

***

  When his dad came home a week later Sam was sat alone at the kitchen table on the laptop still searching. John came in silently looking tired and worse for wear before glancing at the screen and seeing the lost boys.

  "What are you up to son?" he asked curious.

  Sam looked up at his father trying to gauge what his reaction might be. He had always been disgusted with how quickly his father had given up on Dean but then again he himself had made a vow to never stop looking and he had.

  "I'm looking for Dean, Dad," he said after a while.

  John Winchester looked down at his youngest son then with surprise. He hadn't expected that answer, that much Sam could see. He just hoped that he didn't yell at him for it- not that that would make him stop.

  "Okay Sam. Let me help," John replied eventually.


	32. Giving Up

  Sam couldn't help but remember his brother on every hunt that he went on. Dad had only started letting him hunt when he was thirteen but he had taken Dean with him since his brother was eight. His brother had been so strong and fierce- it was the trait that he remembered best about the older boy. Well he'd be a man now. Twenty... if he was alive.

  He was quickly pulled back out of his thoughts as the vampire came tumbling around the corner. Without a moment of hesitation he swung his machete and the monster's head was rolling with a spurt of blood. It was always so satisfying. The body flopped to the ground and Sam wiped the blade off on the monster's t-shirt before standing up straight again. He could now look forward to going off and staying with Uncle Bobby. His dad said that he would be dropping him off for at least a couple of months and Sam couldn't complain about that. He was always butting heads with his father, he really couldn't stand the guy at times. Bobby however he loved being around.

  "Nice work Sam," John panted as he finally appeared.

  Sam just grunted before turning around and heading back towards where the Impala was parked. He really hadn't be able to stand his father for a while. The man knew how much he thought about his brother and he always looked at him with disdain for it. Said that he should move on, there was no point in being stuck up on a boy who was most likely dead. The way he always said it so casually like he was talking about a stranger and not his son was what always turned his stomach. He was probably right about moving on. Even if Dean was alive they were never going to find him. That was proven after three months of searching through every lost boy case across all fifty states.

***

  They pulled up through the junkyard and up to Bobby's house, the house that most felt like home to him. The distinctive rumble of the Impala must have alerted the older man of their arrival because he appeared in the doorway of his house just as Sam was pulling his duffel from the back seat.

  "Heya boy I swear you shoot up ten feet every time I see you," the man smiled and greeted the boy with a gruff hug.

  "Bobby," John acknowledged, leaning against his car in a sure way that told Sam he would be right off.

  "John," Bobby nodded back, begrudgingly respectful.

 With that, and without a goodbye, John turned and got into the Impala before driving away. Sam only watched him for a moment before he followed Bobby into the house. He knew the drill, walking straight up the stairs to what was basically his room although officially the guest room. There he started to unpack his clothes and his few possessions, putting them away in the same places that he always kept them.

  Finally he came across that picture, the one of Dean. It was his only one and it was his most precious possession. He wished that he had really known his brother. Dean in his memory had always looked after him and protected him, he wondered what that would have been like to grow up with that.

  "He was so happy with that amulet," Bobby said behind him, making Sam jump slightly and pulled him from his thoughts.

  "Yeah I think I remember that," Sam replied.

  "I take it you still think of him then."

  "Yeah. I can't help it, hunting just reminds me of him cause you know... it's something he did for the first time when he was really little and it made Dad so proud. Although I think about him less I just... I just wish I knew him more. I don't really remember all that much about him, I just know I love him," Sam confessed looking up at Bobby.

  "Yeah son I love him too. He was a sweet kid. I miss him I'll tell you that. I'll also tell you he loved you so so much. Never seen such a devoted nine year old before, "Bobby said with a sad smile, "I know you're daddy fell apart after your mom's death, you were only a baby, Dean was four. Didn't stop him looking after you though. He raised you more than anyone else did in those first five years. Dean was your first word, he was the first person you walked to. Hell he was the one that taught you to read."

  "Wow. Dad never told me that. He really... Dean really must have loved me. I remember how much he used to look after me when Dad was away. That's really the biggest thing I remember about him. That and the amulet. I remember that he never took it off, not even when he went to sleep and when I had nightmares he would let me curl up with him and I would hold onto it because it was something that was him so quickly," Sam reminisced. 

  "Yeah. That boy sure was fond of you."

***

  It was three weeks into his stay with his Uncle Bobby that they got a call from one of Bobby's old associates in a small town in Kansas. It was a case, werewolf by the looks of it. The old man had looked to Sam and asked if he wanted to come along to which he replied the affirmative without hesitation. He had never been hunting with his Uncle and he couldn't wait.

  The very same day they packed up and piled into Bobby's beaten up truck, making there way to Kansas. Bobby was meant to have been one of the best in his day and Sam couldn't wait to work with him and see him in action. It would be much better than hunting with his Dad, of that he was very sure. 

 


	33. Questionable Mission

  Dean and Cas usually got the cases that were in smaller towns and villages these days. They were harder as they were closer knit communities and that made it much harder to get away with murder. It also meant though that they were away for longer and that was something that they would gladly exchange for a harder case.

  The morning of one particular mission started the same as it always did. They were all sitting around their table eating a tasteless porridge. They were all still slightly damp from showering but they were all in high spirits. It was just as they were getting up to go and train that Master Crowley walked in.

  "Jensen, Misha. A mission for you boys, be gone within the hour," the man said, handing them a file before turning to leave.

  "Good luck chaps," Chad said slapping Dean on the back as the others left.

  Looking down at the file Dean saw the strangest mission they had been given yet. Before them in the file was three pictures; two men and a woman. That wasn't the strange thing, the strange thing was how the client wanted these people killed. Or rather how their bodies were to be left. They were to kill these three people and take away their hearts.  _Dispose of away from body_. Was what they were to do with them.  _Kill one a day_. It all screamed werewolf to him, this would attract hunters for sure and make their job a whole lot harder.

  "Well it's in Kansas so we'll be gone a while," Cas commented.

  "Yeah but this will be dangerous. This will attract hunters," Dean replied without thinking.

  "Hunters? What are you talking about?" Cas half laughed.

  That started a conversation explaining all about the supernatural. At first Cas hadn't believed him, of course he hadn't why would he, but it was obviously the sincerity in his voice or face that convinced him. He had leaned into Dean, pressing his forehead into his neck and just said, "I believe you."

  It was when they were leaving the Brick Base that Cas finally turned to him with a slight smirk, "so we're going to play at being werewolves?"

  "Yeah suppose so. I think that we could get around the hunters though," Dean replied, he couldn't help but think of his brother. If he was still alive- and Dean refused to believe otherwise- their dad would have taught him to be a hunter by now. 

  They got to their designated car and Dean got behind the wheel. They had been taught to drive in their training years, he had been eleven, but they hadn't been allowed to drive on the roads until they were sixteen. The last thing the Master wanted was them getting in trouble with the law for underage driving. Dean loved it though, driving made him feel so free and freedom was something they so rarely felt. Even when they were out in the world on missions there was the shadow of the Brick Base over them. On the open road it seemed to lessen.

  Eventually it was getting dark so they stopped in a motel, getting two beds out of principle and falling into one. Cas was instantly on him kissing down from his lips, across his jaw and down his neck. Then he was pushing off Dean's leather jacket and Dean was unbuttoning Cas' shirt. It was desperate until they were both naked and ready then as soon as Cas was inside him things turned slow and loving. It was slow but perfect in the rumpled motel sheets. Face to face, lips brushing over each others' not really kissing but gasping and breathing against each others' mouths.

"I can't believe werewolves are real," Cas laughed against Dean's temple after they'd finished, both sweaty and sticky but content.

  "Yep. Scary things, make you look like a fairy," Dean joked back.

  "Technically I am a fairy," Cas replied, pulling back and looking down at Dean with a mock serious face which had Dean sniggering.

  "Right get off me I need a shower," Dean said after they had both finished laughing.

  He pushed the shorter man off, grazing a loving hand over the clean shaven jaw before leaving the bed. Just as he had taken a step he was grabbed for behind, the naked body of his boyfriend pressing into his back. The man's fingers brushed over the T on the back of Dean's back and then down the whip scars and finally round to the F over his heart. It was a little ritual that he did a lot over the years. Something that Dean had gone from tolerating to loving. It meant that Cas loved him despite his flaws and failings.

  "I'm coming with you of course," he breathed against Dean's ear, making a little shiver run down his spine.

  "Well hurry up then, I'm disgusting," Dean replied with mock annoyance, pulling away and grabbing his loved one's hand.

  "You're never disgusting," Cas said.

  "Oh shut up you freak. We're both covered in sweat and come. You my love are beautiful but disgusting so lets get in that freaking shower."

***

  Pulling the heart out of the man's chest was disgusting. They had to cut into him and crack bones just to reach into the chest cavity and pull the organ out. Dean pulled his hand back out with the bloody piece of flesh and had to keep himself from retching as he pushed himself back up to his feet.

  "God you're doing the next one," Dean gagged, holding the heart as far away from him as possible as they retreated from the scene.

  "Sure," Cas laughed at Dean's reaction, "how are we going to decide the third though?"

  "Rock paper scissors," Dean replied as they retreated.

  Sure enough the next day it was Cas that took the heart. They made sure that the body was on the other side of the town from their first, taking the woman. Double murder, the police would be onto someone soon and Dean really wanted to be put of there before they started connecting dots. Not that they would ever be able to connect the killings to two men that had been kidnapped as boys more than a decade ago. 

  Taking that second heart though really did hit home that some people really were sick. Dean couldn't help but wonder what these people had done to make someone take a contract out on them in such a specific way.

 


	34. Reunion

  They were on their third victim when it all went wrong. They had the man cornered and Dean was just about to plunge his knife into flesh when the door slammed open and two men entered. Both Dean and Cas jumped around brandishing a knife in Dean's case and a gun in Cas'.

  "Stop there now!" shouted the tall, long haired teen he was huge, he made Dean look small and that was no mean feet and he was only a boy. Behind him... Bobby? That was his Uncle Bobby. Shit.

  Dean froze and stared at the older man. It had been eleven years and it showed, Bobby's hair was greyer, he had more wrinkles. He held a gun pointed at Cas while the boy pointed his at Dean. That was when Dean met the boy's eyes and he realised just who he was looking at. Sammy. It was his Sammy, big and strong now. A hunter holding a gun with confidence. A far cry from the quaking five year old he had last seen.

  Holy shit what if Sam recognised him? The Masters would kill him. No he would never have to know. Well now that their victim had just ran out of the door and they were confronted with two hunters they might be.

  "You ain't wolves," the teen, Dean's brother, his little Sammy said.

  "Still put those weapons down though boys and kick them to use," Bobby followed.

  Dean quickly looked over to his partner and lover who gave a minute nod. Of course they could take the two down with their bare hands but it was Bobby and Sam. His chest felt tight as he lent down and dropped the knife and kicked it over. The assassin had to concentrate on his breathing, had to keep calm. He was very well aware of Cas who's eyes kept flicking over to him, he knew something was wrong but of course he did he was Cas. Cas was the love of his life, they had known each other since they were eleven and could read each other completely.

  "Where did you get that?" Sam asked then, his voice was hoarse with emotion and it started Dean. What was he going on about? The question must have registered on his face because he followed with, "the amulet."

  Dean looked down at his chest where the thing had slipped out from under his t-shirt. Shit shit shit. Now they were in trouble. He looked back up at the boy, he knew that he looked like a deer caught in headlights and the scar above his heart began to itch. Failure. And then he noticed Bobby looking between the jewellery and Dean and Sam. Then there was Cas that was looking between the three of them and it was too much. He wanted,  _needed_ , to step back and just have Cas hold him. Console him. But he couldn't.

  "Dean?" it was soft and broken, a question from his little brother's mouth.  _Dean._  He remembered, Sammy remembered him and he remembered the amulet.

  He saw Cas stand up straighter behind him and glance his way while Bobby looked him over with a critical eye. The room was filled with tension and emotion. Dean himself felt overwhelmed and he didn't know what to do. He wanted so bad to touch Cas but he couldn't, not in front of these two. 

  "God... it is you isn't it," Bobby said just as softly.

  "I don't know who the hell this Dean is. My name is Jensen Ackles," Dean bit but as soon as he said it all he saw was shock and then disbelief.

   He took that moment, when Sam's gun was slightly lowered, to jump. He grabbed Sam's arm and pushed it up before wrenching the gun out of his hand and using it to knock him out with a swift hit to the temple. As soon as he had moved forward Cas had too and taken care of Bobby. It was why they made such a good team.

  Once the two were out Dean stepped over his brother and kissed Cas firmly. Oh hell he had just stepped over the unconscious body of his little but not so little big brother. He choked into the kiss and could feel the sting of tears. Cas pulled back and placed his hands on Dean's cheeks, looking over his face.

  "Cas I love you so much but we have to get out of here now and then I'll explain," Dean whispered before pulling him along.

***

   The whole exchange between Dean and his family had only lasted a few minutes and so their victim hadn't had a chance to get to a phone. It meant that they were able to finish the job and get out of there. And then it was time to talk. They were silent in the car but as soon as they were in the next motel Cas turned to him with that expectant look.

  "So?"

  "My brother and uncle. I mean he's not my uncle by blood but... yeah. God. That was my family from before Cas," Dean started out well but broke down more as he went on.

  "Oh God Dean. I am so so sorry," Cas looked distraught. It was a wonder how he could stand this job when he had such a large heart.

  The dark haired boy wrapped Dean up in the hug that he so needed and he let himself break apart in those safe arms. The smell of the man he loved all around him and then he thought of his dad. He wondered if the man had been around if Sam and Bobby had been.  _Failure. Worthless. Useless._

   _Fags are an abomination. They're as bad as the monsters. If only we could shoot them too._

  That made him gag slightly with the fear as he buried his face into Cas' neck. His hands gripped the back of that stupid sexy trench coat Cas loved and he never wanted to let go. He needed Cas like he needed air. Screw his dad. Screw John Winchester. He wasn't Jensen Ackles but he wasn't Dean Winchester. He was Dean and he was Cas' and Cas was his and screw them all!

  "Dean focus on your breathing," Cas crooned against Dean's ear, "match mine."

  Eventually Dean got his breathing under control he said what he needed to, "I love you Cas. I love you so so much. You're my family. You're the only one I need. God I need you Cas," he said into Cas' neck.

  "I love you too Dean. I need you too and you will always have me. Always."


	35. After That

  Sam woke up to a blinding pain in his head and could do nothing but roll over and groan. As he clutched at the egg forming near his temple the events that led up to it came back to him... Dean. He had seen his big brother. He had looked well, strong and healthy and... and a grown man. Of course he was a grown man but it was still weird to see. He had the same eyes though. And he had the amulet. Did that mean that his brother still thought about him? Even though he had called himself... damn it was Jensen Ackles that he said.

  "Sam are you okay?" he heard Bobby above him so he opened his eyes and indeed saw the man leaning over him.

  "Yeah... Bobby we just saw Dean," Sam stated as he sat up.

  "Sure did son. Sure did. Said he wasn't though, know what that means?" Bobby asked in the way that said he already knew but was testing Sam.

  "It means... hell he was taken and groomed Bobby. Groomed... groomed to be, hell to be an assassin," Sam realised, looking up in horror.

  "Whoever took him has done a number on him. Easier to do that with little kids, twist them. He sure as hell recognised and remembered us though. Plus he had that necklace we gave him. Obviously precious if he's kept it all these years," Bobby added.

  They came to realise just how deep in Dean must have been when they came across the body of the man that they had aimed to save. Body minus the heart.

  "Wonder who that other man was," Sam muttered as they quickly hurried away.

  "Probably another kidnapped kid."

***

  "What Cas?" Dean asked, feeling his boyfriend's eyes on him as he drove.

  "Those were your real family," Cas replied.

  "No they're my biological family. You're my real family Cas. You and Chad and Ty, Rachel, Gen, Seb, Dick, Alona and Felicia. You are all my family," Dean said.

  "No Dean. We're the family that the Masters forced on you. The ones that did this," Cas said placing a hand over his heart and over the F brand," they're the ones that made us killers and locked us away. Made us slaves."

  "So. It's not like we can do anything about it," Dean snapped turning to Cas briefly wishing so badly that his words were false.

  "Sure we can. We go on a run and the ten of us just keep running."

  "No we couldn't do that."

  "Sure we could. We were children taken randomly in random places  at random ages an random times so that no one would make a connection between us. The Masters know nothing about us and we have literally been trained to hide and spy and avoid detection. All we have to do is run. We've been taught since we were kids that Sicarius is our lives, what we are on this earth for. They're wrong Dean. It would be so so easy to just leave."

  Dean looked at Cas out of the corner of his eye and contemplated his words. It seemed so easy, to easy but it was true. The bars of their prison were all in their head.

  "Okay lets do it."

***

  Cas had been as good at convincing their brothers and sisters as he had been Dean. They had discussed it in hushed voices over dinner. It would be even easier considering how they had now personal possessions. All of them had saved up a little money from their excursion allowances, an unconscious habit. They planned to go on their morning run and then just keep going. They would but clothes in the city and disappear before the Masters had even noticed them gone.

  And that is what they did. They got on the bus and left the city choosing to hitchhike after that.

  "So what's the plan now?" Chad asked.

  "Well I'm going home," Dick said. There was a general chorus of agreement. Except all partners chose to stay together.

  "Before we go we should know each other's names," Gen said.

  "Yeah, well I think we can safely say that all partners know their partner's names, am I right?" Chad asked to a laugh. It was true.

  That was how Dean found out the true names of his family. Chad was Ash, Ty was Benny, Gen was Ruby, Rachel was Meg, Alona was Jo, Felicia was Charlie, Seb was Balthazar and Dick was Gabriel.

  "God you're family likes weird names," Dean laughed, jabbing Cas in the ribs.

  "Ah shut up you," Gabriel said while flipping him off.

  It was later that day that Dean and Cas were finally on their way. They all had new phones with everyone's numbers in so they wouldn't lose contact, especially for Cas and his brothers. Dean had offered to go with Cas and his oddly named siblings but his boyfriend had insisted that he had enough time with those "ass butts" and they need to go and see Dean's family.

  It was as they were sat on the bus on the way to Bobby's that Dean turned to the other man. He looked into those blue eyes and ran a hand through the dark hair. He was gorgeous, he was Dean's and they were free. They were on their way into a new-old life and they were doing it together. He wanted that forever.

  "Now that we're free Cas I think I can feel comfortable in asking you to marry me. What do you think?" Dean asked with a small smile.

  "I think that would be a very good idea. I could be a Winchester," Cas beamed and it warmed Dean's heart.

  "Not me being a Novak? Or a Winchester-Novak or a Novak-Winchester?" Dean half teased, half questioned.

  "No, Winchester is new and better," Cas smiled back.

  Kissing Cas then felt even better when he could say that the man was his fiancee and they were free and on their way to really see his family.

  "God I love you so much," was said but neither was sure which one said it.


	36. The End

  Finally they were there. The two men stood hand in hand in the scrap yard on Bobby Singer's land. It was odd how it was so... the same. The same cars that had been rotting in yard eleven years ago were still there. The ones that he had climbed through as a boy with little Sammy. Nostalgia almost knocked him off his feet. 

  "Shall we go. No point in waiting now, it's been eleven years Dean," Cas murmured. His fiancee. That was still a new concept, only hours old, but it was a great one.

  "What exactly are you smiling at me like that for?" Cas asked with a smile of his own, Dean knew that he must look like a love sick puppy. He didn't mind one bit as long as Cas knew how much he loved him.

  "Still loving thinking of you as my fiancee," Dean answered, pressing a small kiss to his cheek.

  "Wait till it's husband," the dark haired man grinned back.

  "Ah that'll be the day," Dean grinned before he looked back at their surroundings and the full effect of what was happening crashed around him and wiped the smile off of his face.

  Eventually they started to weave their way through the cars until the house came into view. It looked just the same. Now though he saw the car. As in THE car. His dad's beloved Impala, the most beautiful car to ever be made.

***

  "What the hell do you mean you saw Dean! That's impossible, the kid is dead!" John Winchester yelled at his youngest son.

  "How can you say that Dad! He's your son, any possibility that he's alive you should be grabbing at it! You're heartless I swear to God!" Sam screamed back. He couldn't believe his father. How could he be angry that his son was alive?

  "John you need to shut your mouth. Your boy is alive, we both saw him. He was taken from you and trained as a killer. He ran off because he's been brainwashed, it's up to us to find him again. Now that we definitely know he's alive there is no excuse," Bobby interrupted the shouting match with his calm but commanding growl.

  It was at that moment that there was a firm knock on the door. The three stopped and turned to the door, John looked mad that they had been interrupted, Sam looked worn out and Bobby wondered why he had to have a customer arrive now. The old bear made his way out of the room and opened the door only to stop dead and stare. There in front of his was Dean, with the amulet hanging around his neck on  full display, and a step behind that same dark haired man.

  "Hey Bobby," Dean greeted, the words sounding so good to the old man's ears.

  "Come in boys," Bobby stood aside and let them past.

  The two young men followed the older into the room where John and Sam Winchester just stood and stared. After a moment of tense silence, Sam stepped forward and wrapped Dean in his long arms. For a moment the assassin stood stock still but then he melted into the touch burying his head into his little brother's shoulder.

  "Hey Sammy," he greeted quietly after a long moment when they parted.

  "It's Sam now," Sam told him while trying to keep the emotion out of his voice.

  "Na I think I'll keep Sammy."

  "Why did you run away Dean? Why did you kill those people?" Sam asked him looking so curious and hopeful just like the little boy Dean had last seen eleven years ago.

  "It was my job Sammy. Our job," Dean said looking back at Cas. The dark haired man took a step forward until he was standing beside him. It was a gesture of support and yet he didn't touch Dean, undoubtedly because he knew of John's opinions on gays.

  "And what is your name then?" John asked Cas gruffly. 

  " Mi- Castiel Novak sir," Cas answered, he started with his Sicarius name still unused to being free.

  "Castiel? God your parents must have hated you," John snorted.

  "John. Watch yourself," Bobby snapped, "so was it only the two of you on this job?"

  "On that particular one yes. But Sicarius, that was us, there was ten of us. We ran because we had to get back to the base and to our siblings," Dean explained.

  "Siblings?" Sam asked looking somewhat betrayed.

  "Yes, the Sicarius are family," Dean replied, looking to Cas briefly.

  "So who was there besides you Sicarius lot?" Bobby asked.

  "The Masters. They were our superiors. I don't... we don't really know how many there were. We lived in an underground network of rooms and corridors, we had our part, they had theirs. We had our roles we were given targets to kill or spy on. That's it," Dean said quietly. It was strange still to talk about it all in the past tense.

 "And yet you haven't gone back now. You're here. What changed boy?" John asked gruffly. 

  "We all... left. The ten of us left. We were chosen at random when we were children so as not to leave a trail. They don't know anything about us, they won't be able to find us," Cas spoke up.

  "So you're staying?" Sam asked hopefully.

  "If you'll have us," Dean smiled back.

  "How come it's only the two of you and not the ten then if you're all so close?" John questioned.

  "We were partners while we were Sicarius. All the partners stayed together. Besides I love Cas, we're going to stay together forever," Dean told him. He looked straight into his eye, he was not that  nine year old boy anymore, he didn't have to fear his father.

  "Love him?" John repeated with a dangerous glint in his eye.

  "Yes. I asked him to marry me and he said yes," Dean told him.

  "So you're a fag? God it would have been better if the poor fool that took you killed you and put you out of your misery," the man snarled before pushing past and slamming the door behind him. A moment later the distinctive sound of the Impala came through the cracked open window as John drove away.

  "Dean? I don't mind," Sam said, it was quiet and sad.

  Dean turned to his younger brother and smiled. It was still almost like a dream to see him there.

  "I didn't expect you would Sammy," he reassured.

  "If you're assassins then you know how to fight. You can join us hunting," Bobby said.

  "Like it was always meant to be," Sam added.

  "That'd be the best," Cas grinned.

  Dean grinned at them all and laced his fingers with Cas'. They were free and a family again. They would hunt together and Dean would get to love Cas until the day he died. It was perfect. They didn't need John. Dean absently played his fingers over the amulet and smiled at his brother again. Sam was alive and well, so was Bobby, so was he and Cas. It was a new start and he was going to make it the best.

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to say that I realise Sam and Dean were older when Sam gave Dean the amulet but for the purposes of this story they are younger


End file.
